KHR: The Tenth Generation
by cbehrills
Summary: Following the Battle of the Rainbow Sawada Tsunayoshi was preparing to become the 10th boss of the Vongola family. Not everything turned out as planned though, when confronted by the death of a loved one he disappeared, not contacting his guardians for several years. Five years later and a new threat is about to emerge but is it as simple as it seems and can Tsuna really stop it?.
1. Where is he Now?

**Author Note**

Hello.

This is the first fiction I have bothered to publish so I do apologise if it's awful. I tried.

"Hello" - speech.  
 _'Hello'_ \- thought.  
 _"Hello" -_ telepathic thought. (That will make sense later)

 **Disclaimer**

I don't own KHR (Katekyo Hitman Reborn). KHR is owned by Akira Amano.

* * *

 **FIVE YEARS LATER - WHERE IS HE NOW**

 **TOKYO, JAPAN**

It is late afternoon, a cold and rainy day in Tokyo, an orange tinge encompasses the city as a hard day's work comes to an end for the workers of the Useful Silicon Engineering company. The workers pour out of the office in knowledge that they can relax soon as they head home to their friends and families, the supervisor; this man had a charismatic aura to him that meant as always he exited the office surrounded by enthusiastic colleagues. Thoughts travel through his mind like buses through a terminal, ' _these people are looking for something again, they always want something'_. The well-dressed man to the right of him is about to hit home with his request, money, promotion, resources, holiday time, it is still unknown what he wanted because at that moment, the supervisor recognised someone on his right, that someone was a sushi chef.

"Yo Gokudera" yells the white clad chef, this man was Yamamoto Takeshi and their past together was long and storied.

Gokudera smiles as memories of their past together come flooding back, "Baseball brain, I didn't expect you to be here on time".

"I'm working on improving my time keeping, those baseball coaches don't like it when you show up late", Yamamoto is not fazed by Gokudera's casual insults; 'they are part of his charm' he tells anyone who questions Gokudera's sincerity.

"So, do you have any preference of bar" Gokudera questions as he glances in the various directions he and Yamamoto have travelled in the past.

"Well we could go to one of the regular ones, or we could head back to dad's bar" proclaims the baseball hopeful, "he and mum are out tonight so they left me a set of keys in case of emergency, they won't mind if we head in, probably".

Gokudera sighs at Yamamoto's blasé attitude "We never have been good at following the rules have we".

"Come on, our lives would have been very dull if we had aloud others to dictate our actions" Yamamoto retorts, several years training and fighting together as mafioso had indeed lead them to be lenient with rules from time to time.

Yamamoto and Gokudera agree that the privacy of the sushi bar would be preferable to a public house, while walking through the streets of Tokyo the two of them have a noticeable weight on their minds. It is at the Sushi bar that Yamamoto first directs the conversation towards this elephant in the room.

"He hasn't spoken to us in years, Tsuna, do you think that the 9th will make him boss soon" asks the rain guardian.

Gokudera quickly snaps back at Yamamoto, "How should I know, the 10th is the strongest Mafioso to appear since the 1st himself, the hesitation makes no sense to me".

The room is silent for a moment, it is decorated with traditional Japanese memorabilia in keeping with the theme that Yamamoto's father maintains but neither man admires the scenery, the two men simply looked down into their drinks.

Suddenly up from behind the bar a well-dressed 8-year-old appears carrying a yellow pacifier around his neck despite his advanced years, "It's because he's not married", this was the hitman tutor Reborn.

The speed with which Gokudera's finger points at Reborn is only matched by the speed at which he leaps from his chair, "WHEN DID YOU GET THERE".

Avoiding the question completely Reborn simply states "all this sneaking around isn't as easy when you're not a baby".

The 8-year-old appearing from behind the bar startled Yamamoto, this was the same person who helped him advance his swordplay when he travelled to the future, this alone however wouldn't cause him to react as strongly as Gokudera. Yamamoto did however have an identical reaction to Gokudera when a second 8-year-old emerged from the same place.

"Lambos hiding is even better than yours" declares the newcomer in cow prints.

After calming down the overexcited storm guardian he was drinking with, Yamamoto invited Lambo and Reborn to the table, an offer they promptly accepted. The chef walked towards the bar to offer the two newcomers a drink when he was reprimanded by Gokudera. The age situation is complicated, while Reborn is in fact a great deal older than either Yamamoto or Gokudera it is easy to forget that unlike his well-dressed accomplice Lambo is no arcobaleno, he is just too young for alcohol. Yamamoto starts returning to the table after his brief moment of thought.

"You two sure have gotten big, you've grown so fast since we last saw you", he initiates the conversation at a light-hearted pace, this is his comfort zone, the reason he was chosen as the rain guardian all those years ago.

"Probably all that milk, he must manage to get some of it in his mouth" unfortunately for pleasantries sake, Gokudera is the storm guardian, his patience for small talk is rather limited, especially confronted with the 'stupid cow' who looks like his sister's ex-boyfriend Romeo.

Lambo strikes back with his usual mix of immaturity and ferocity "Stupidera, Lambo learns how to look cool from Tsuna".

This is the first positive reference to Sawada Tsunayoshi in the conversation, a relief to his self-appointed right hand man Gokudera Hayato, "So the 10th looks 'cool' now, I haven't seen him in such a long time".

When he speaks with this tone Gokudera is capable of bringing a great feeling of calm to everyone around him, it's always calm before the storm though, "Why is the stupid cow getting more contact with the 10th than me, damn you stupid cow".

Lambo does his best to rub it in to his fellow guardian, using the most annoying smile he can muster he proudly announces "Tsuna and I are adopted brothers".

If the supervisor was a gale force wind previously, he was truly a hurricane now, "THE MOTHER ACTUALLY ADOPTED YOU".

Yamamoto laughs at Gokudera's reaction, his friend had always been over the top, the bomb master never failed to amuse him when he confronted Lambo. Gokudera does his best to calm himself down, but the young thunder guardian is good at pushing his buttons.

"No more guardians", decided Gokudera, instead to participate as an eavesdropper for the next few minutes.

As he looks around the dining area of the facility he notices someone has left a newspaper, ' _nothing like a good bit of reading for a distraction'_ , as he reaches out for the paper he notices the title 'NEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, SASAGAWA RYOHEI'.

Yamamoto looks back when he sees Gokudera hesitate, commenting on the title he muses "he does have a bit of an unfair advantage, Senior Sasagawa", a sensible remark to describe the sun guardian.

"You can say that again" agrees Gokudera.

Sasagawa Ryohei, the 'extreme' world heavyweight champion, the sun guardian and a close friend of all present parties, though his mention brings the mind of the entire room to the source of their boss' depression.

"Gokudera he spoke about that incident, how the sudden death of Kyoko and Haru affected their families, he's coping well with his sister's death, you and Haru were engaged, are you...", Gokudera knows where this is going, he's had enough pity to last a lifetime.

"I'm OK, it's all been hard, explaining it to her parents was the worst... but I've had plenty of time, I'm coping, I hope the 10th is as well".

The source of Tsunayoshi's infrequent contact is now the subject of the discussion, indeed Tsuna has not been the same since the death of his fiancée Sasagawa Kyoko, the death of a loved one is the only thing that could hit the next Vongola boss this hard.

Reborn decides to put Gokudera's mind at rest, "He's going through a lot right now but he's OK, most of his issues are coming from his living family right now".

Confused by the remark, Yamamoto decides to enquire further "his living family, what are you talking about Mr Reborn".

As the insider of the Sawada house, Lambo knows most about this issue, "It's momma", he starts, "she doesn't like his excuses for not having a job".

Gokudera finally understands the difficulty Tsuna is having, ' _we just carry on with our lives and wait for a summon but he has duties, he can't afford to get a job, 10_ _th_ _I hope you are OK'._

 **JUST OUTSIDE ROME, THE VONGOLA MANSION**

An old building, it has stood for over two hundred years, originally built by grateful civilians to the vigilante Vongola the 1st, the Vongola mansion is a fine example of Italian architecture. Before this mansion an elderly man enjoys a small cup of coffee as he sits in his tweed suit admiring the sunset, the scene would be a perfect image for many local painters, that is if the man were not surrounded by several mafioso clad in full black suits brandishing enormous guns. Only a few men in the world can readily summon a security force of this size and skill, the man in question is Vongola 9th.

The 9th leader continues to enjoy the sunset as he takes another sip from his well decorated cup, he gives off an aura of being relaxed to everyone around him, however his guard has long since been raised.

"So you've arrived then" he says without looking up from his coffee.

"Old man, you know I could kill you", there are few people in the world capable of summoning a security detail such as this, there are even fewer still who could so comfortably dispose of them, one of them has just arrived, Xanxus.

Normally when a child returns to visit their parent it is a cheerful and sometimes tearful occasion, this is not one of those times, Xanxus is not one of those children. Xanxus uniform helps him to stand out from the security team, the uniform consisting of a white shirt and a black cape decorated in patterns of red and white, the uniform of the Special Vongola Assassination Unit, the Varia.

"You're strong Xanxus, I know that, I have long since been too weak to stop you" the 9th analyses. Xanxus is indeed powerful, a man who once upon a time fought one on one with Sawada Tsunayoshi, but he is always cautious against a certain technique.

"I won't fall for the zero-point breakthrough again you know".

A state is the best way to describe the zero-point breakthrough, the dying will flame represents a plus, most of the time people remain in the neutral 'zero' state hence the name, it is the state of having less dying will than normal, this state can lead to many techniques, two of which Xanxus has encountered before.

The 9th and Xanxus have battled before, their status as adopted parent and child has complicated the transition from the 9th boss to the 10th boss hence Tsuna eventually rising to the position.

"What business do you have with the Varia", Xanxus is concise and to the point, not a conversationalist with his allies, those he has hostility with are unlikely to ever hear him exercise manners.

The 9th is Xanxus adopted father, he understands his temperament best of all, "I would like for you to work directly under Tsuna". The birds fly away and the guards step back in fright at the sound of Xanxus laugh.

"What a joke, you want me to work under the no-good piece of trash?".

The 9th makes a hopeful remark, "Perhaps if you were to help boost his confidence he…", he does not get the chance to finish.

"You are hoping he will get married right?" Xanxus interrupts his father, "Don't you get it, that girl he loved, what was her name?".

"Kyoko" the Vongola boss answers.

"Kyoko, she died in that crash. He won't be getting married any time soon, you can count on that".

This is the upsetting truth the 9th didn't want to believe, "I will change the rules, as boss it is my right".

"You and I both know that you won't do that, if you could I would have been boss long ago", another upsetting truth, this one forces the 9th to reflect on his time as boss, it has not been without issue.

A good few seconds pass before Xanxus turns his back on the 9th and begins to walk away from the Vongola Mansion. As the sun gradually falls beneath the horizon, Tsuna's chance of becoming boss also plummets.

"You have two options, find a different way to make him your successor, or name me boss like you should have done long ago", leaving with the final word Xanxus departs leaving the 9th in peace.

The nearest henchman questions his boss "9th are we really going to replace Sawada".

 _'Replace him, that's a hard hitting remark',_ when dealing with matters as important as this, it is important to maintain the morale of those around you.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi is the true successor to Vongola the 1st, the family has waited a long time for someone like him, he will definitely become your boss, you can rest assured of that".

It was on this day that everybody asked the difficult questions about Sawada Tsunayoshi, how is he coping with the loss of his fiancée. How will he become boss if he isn't married? Is someone who is unable to control the Varia a suitable Vongola boss. The most pertinent question though had not been asked, the question that was truly on the minds of all of his friends and family. Sawada Tsunayoshi, where is he now?


	2. Fancy a Week in the Sun?

**FIVE YEARS LATER – FANCY A WEEK IN THE SUN?**

 **NORTHERN JAPAN, A FIELD**

This part of the country is famed for being quiet, it's a scenic area with excellent views but this is not the case during the cold of night. The faint frost layer on the ground makes the surface slippery, a difficult place to get your footing if you are running from someone. This issue was being discovered at this moment by Rokudo Mukuro and Chrome Dokuro, the two purple haired mist guardians that have fought alongside Sawada throughout his life.

Unlike Mukuro who has been on the run for a large part of his life, Chrome is unused to escaping the police, "Mukuro, I don't think we will be able to get away, it's too slippery".

The tall and mysterious figure reassures Chrome, "We're not running away, I'm just getting into a better position to fight".

Normally escaping the police would be easy for the pair of illusionists, they are of course elite fighters who fought in the battle of the rainbow, regardless of this they are being pursued and their pursuer has caught up with them.

"There is no surface you can beat me on Mukuro", the policeman taunts, there is only one man in the entire police force who can make this claim with any legitimacy.

Mukuro leaps into the air flipping himself in the process and landing so as to face the chaser head on "Just as I thought".

This a face off that has happened many times before, Rokudo Mukuro vs Hibari Kyoya. In the five years since the battle of the rainbow Hibari has become a policeman with a superb record, many successive promotions have landed him in a prominent position.

"Field work is below me but nobody else would be able to catch you would they" Hibari muses, illusionists are difficult to catch even for the cloud guardian.

Illusions are powerful deceptive projections, if you are not looking for one you wouldn't notice it was there, only those with power similar to the illusionist in question are able to see through their illusions.

"These recent murders, you are responsible right" Hibari notes in spite of already knowing the answer.

Chrome still struggles to understand the former discipline officer, "Hang on, Mukuro is doing what he is doing to save people, we're part of the same family, can't you just let us go" she suggests, however for Hibari matters aren't so simple.

Chrome's suggestion falls on deaf ears, the situation has everyone present fully on guard, their bodies show the signs of the psychological stress they are all under, nobody is feeling the cold right now.

"Family, what kind of crowding is that?" Hibari questions.

His hatred of crowds is often the source of the cloud guardian's comments and his dislike of human interaction is what pushes him over the edge this time. Drawing his twin tonfas to his hands with speed that could only be exhibited by a master of their use, Hibari kicks the ground and launches straight towards Mukuro.

A small but familiar giggle escape Mukuro's lips, "Didn't you hear what I said, I'm getting in a better position to fight".

For this man to make such a claim while fighting Hibari Kyoya could only mean one thing, Hibari slams his foot hard into the ground, the weak forces of friction from the icy surface stop him just short of an explosive trap Mukuro has laid.

Chrome once again feels it is her duty to stop the fight, "Please stop the fighting, we are part of the Vongola family aren't we".

Hibari and Mukuro however enjoy their fights too much for either to wilfully stop, on the contrary Hibari is annoyed by the distraction, he raises his hand up and then down with great speed, tossing his tonfa towards Chrome's face with a speed that no normal human can react to, however someone does react to it, a small man in a loose fitting suit appears and catches the tonfa with hands that wore the same gauntlets as all those years ago.

Raising his head to face his guardians upon catching the tonfa, a look of frustration appears in the man's face, this is a scene that is all too familiar to him.

"Do I have to break you up again?" he asks with rhetoric.

"B... Boss" Chrome stutters, she is correct, this spiky haired man is the next in line to become Vongola boss, the future Vongola 10th, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Tsuna has changed in these five years, unlike the nervous kid of before he is now a confident adult, ready for anything that comes towards him. A flame flickers on his forehead, the flame known as the 'hyper flame', grants Tsuna the great power he used to catch his cloud guardian's weapon. This is the man who has earned the respect of everyone present, his appearance changes everything.

"I have incriminating evidence that proves Rokudo Mukuro has committed several murders, bringing him to justice is my job, wouldn't you agree?" questions the solitary Hibari.

Ever the expert at wordplay however, Mukuro chuckles as he indicates "We have to do ugly things to protect the family, you would be best off not knowing about these things, such is our job as mist guardians".

The man who selected Mukuro for this job was Tsuna's father, Sawada Iemitsu and he selected him for this very reason, Mukuro is capable of living in the darkness unlike the other guardians.

Tsuna having been put in a difficult spot briefly considers the big picture, "You don't have permission to break Japanese law Mukuro, however you are still a valued member of my family, I won't let the police touch you".

When being faced with an unstoppable force such as the Vongola successor, it would not be unusual to step back in fear, or even to run but Hibari is in the mood to do neither of these.

Hibari loves to fight strong opponents, confronted with the strongest man he knows he eagerly asks, "Oh, are you going to fight me".

Hibari raises his remaining tonfa, preparing for the most difficult fight he would ever have but that alone is far from enough to prepare him.

Tsuna escaped from everyone's sight, he instantly appears behind Hibari, "are you excited to face me… an opponent you can't hope to touch".

Ignoring the taunt Hibari ignites his remaining tonfa with purple dying will flames, this purple tinge is a symbol of the cloud aspect. Hibari swings his flaming tonfa straight towards Tsuna's unguarded head but Tsuna is well prepared for the predictable attack.

Raising his hand up, Tsuna not only catches the tonfa but also uses the 'zero-point breakthrough, first edition' to instantly freeze the flames on the weapon.

The fight has already been lost and won, "I won't hurt you too badly Hibari, you have always protected the family from the police, however I have to make it look like you put up a fight" observes Tsuna.

Tsuna proceeds to punch Hibari in the gut, he punches him as hard as he can not once but twice before letting his friend fall to the floor. These blows are strong to the level where they could destroy a building, rather than that though Hibari spits a mouthful of blood onto the floor as he clenches himself in pain.

"You give me hope Herbivore, there is one person left in the world, who it is fun to fight against" said Hibari, defeat not upsetting him as his excitement over Tsuna's strength only increases further.

Tsuna replies, "Train hard Hibari, when you are ready I promise the two of us shall fight".

After receiving this promise of a rematch Hibari slowly gets to his feet and limps away, his smile reflecting that his job has taken the back seat, he doesn't care that Mukuro escaped, that was far too much fun.

With the conflict sorted Tsuna is left with his two mist guardians, "Mukuro", he says, "I need you to come to Italy with me".

"Mukuro is needed in Italy, but why" asks Chrome, confused about the sudden decision for her counterpart to leave the country.

"The 9th generation mist guardian is giving a full briefing; you're taking over his duties full time" explains Tsuna. This meeting would represent progress for the Vongola family, one step closer to the inauguration of the 10th generation.

"I'm doing something more important, take Chrome", Mukuro orders as he disappears suddenly into the night, leaving only Chrome and Tsuna present.

Chrome sighs, disappointed that she has been abandoned by her once saviour, "He treats me like I'm his secretary", she complains.

"It's not like that, he is entrusting you with his responsibilities as well as your own. Never forget that you are a mist guardian too Chrome" interjects Tsuna, immediately trying to cheer up his friend.

Chrome can't help but smile at Tsuna's flattery, ' _he's gotten much better with words'_.

"So, fancy a week in the sun?" asks Tsuna.

Chrome knows this won't be a holiday but appreciates the positive attitude Tsuna displays, not something Mukuro does very often, "Sounds good" she replies.

"Well then, let's go to Italy" suggests Tsuna, turning on his heel and walking through the field as if he intends to walk the whole way.

Chrome does not start walking like her boss though, she has to ask the question on everyone's mind, "Boss, where have you been for so many years" she asks, almost fearing how Tsuna could answer.

Tsuna sighs, "When Kyoko died I fell into depression. My university results became so poor that even Reborn couldn't help me.", the hitman tutor is a world renowned somehow manages to maintain his status as a world class academic despite his other duties.

"My only chance to make it in life was to become Vongola boss, so I decided to learn about Vongola, every little detail" he explains, "it won't be long Chrome, the 10th generation will be reunited very soon".

 **Madison Square Garden, New York, USA**

The stadium is all set for a boxing match, it is night here and the arena has been prepared with as much professionalism as the general public have come to expect from the staff. Tonight is a big night, it's the world heavyweight champion in action here, facing off against his number one contender. The champion always has close matches that come down to the wire, he is legendary for it, that is because he has to make the fights look genuine. The opponents seldom offer a true challenge to Sasagawa Ryohei.

His team have left him alone for his pre match ritual, Ryohei leans onto a small desk in front of a cheap mirror. The stadium is legendary but the backstage setup for a boxer is small and remains that way through tradition. Fixed to the mirror are two photos, one of Ryohei with his younger sister Kyoko. ' _Kyoko, I hope you will be proud of me for what I accomplish today'._

Ryohei takes a moment to recall the painful memories from that day, the day of Kyoko's death. Kyoko and Haru, the two very close friends had come to this country America for a girl only holiday. Ryohei was invited to a get-together by the male contingent of the 10th generation Vongola but he declined, training always takes top priority when you are extreme. Ryohei did go extreme that day, just as he does every day in training, he went extreme right up to the last moment.

Upon completing his training session that day Ryohei followed his usual tradition, he cooled off in the showers before getting his phone out of his bag to read any messages. That day there were no messages on his phone, just missed calls, tens of missed calls. Most of those calls had been from his good friend and fellow guardian Yamamoto Takeshi, so he phoned Yamamoto at the earliest convenient moment.

"Yamamoto what is going on, everyone has been phoning me all day", asked Ryohei, eager to know what was going on.

"Kyoko and Haru are dead Senior Sasagawa, it was a car accident" replied Yamamoto.

Those were the most devastating words that Sasagawa Ryohei had ever heard, seemingly full of stamina despite his long session of exercise he ran around to the Sawada residence to find Tsuna.

Waiting in the Sawada residence were the two men engaged to Kyoko and Haru, Tsuna and Gokudera.

"Octopus head are they really…", Ryohei mutters, unable to complete his own sentence.

"I…", Gokudera starts through tears, though he is unable to coherently string the right words together.

"Our people in America have confirmed it Ryohei, they are dead" said Tsuna.

That day Tsuna put everything beyond doubt, the resources he had as Vongola 10th were reliable, Ryohei's sister had died.

The thought of Sawada Tsunayoshi though put Ryohei in a better place, he looked over to the other photo on his mirror. This photo is the happier of the pair, it shows him, Tsuna, Lambo, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Chrome, Mukuro and Hibari, the boss and guardians of the 10th generation Vongola. It wasn't often that all of the guardians were gathered in one place, more seldom still that Mukuro and Hibari were willing to pose for a photograph, however it was on that day that team Reborn won the battle of the rainbow. Not everyone in the photo could claim to be a victor but all of them were relieved by the result, Sawada Tsunayoshi never let them down.

Ryohei's coach opens the door as he walks into the room, "It's time Ryohei" he prompts.

Ryohei smiles at those words, "I have been waiting for those words, for far too long" he replies.


	3. We're not Together!

**SOMETHING NEW IN ITALY – WE'RE NOT TOGETHER!**

 **The Vongola Mansion, Just Outside Rome**

When the weather is beautiful most people enjoy sitting outside, some enjoy bathing in the sun, some enjoy walking in the rain and some enjoy chasing thunderstorms. Unfortunately for the 9th Boss of the Vongola family, his mist Guardian, Bouche Croquant is not such a person. The sun shines brightly in the sky outside but the two of them await their successors in a dark and poorly lit room with no windows.

"We could have sat outside" says the 9th, clearly irritated at his associates choice of room.

"The police might have seen me" replies Croquant, "I imagine a few of them would recognise me by now".

"That's your fault, I told you not to break the law" criticises the 9th.

Croquant only smiles at that though, it has always been the duty of the mist guardian to do the unpleasant but necessary things needed to protect the family. ' _That's why we're having this meeting',_ Croquant thinks to himself, ' _I've heard this Rokudo Mukuro is even worse than I am, I wonder what he is like'_.

A smile appears on the face of the 9th, "Tsuna is here" says the boss as he rises to his feet.

Croquant jumps to his feet as well, "You can even sense his power now, he is quite special isn't he, Sawada Tsunayoshi".

"Yes" agrees the 9th, Tsuna is special, the first leader of the family to earn the approval of Vongola 1st, to earn the approval of every arcobaleno. The door opens and in walk the two 10th generation figures. There is a noticeable difference in confidence between them, a surprise to the 9th seeing as 5 years ago both Tsuna and Chrome suffered from being nervous. Tsuna looks comfortable in his suit, his greetings are coherent and appropriate, Chrome however gives off the aura that she has never before worn a suit.

Croquant processes the image of this woman, ' _the purple haired one_ , he speculates, _is she a representative of Mukuro, she doesn't seem very confident'_. Unlike Croquant though, something very different is running through the 9th's mind.

"CONGRATULATIONS TSUNA" yells the 9th with vigour and enthusiasm.

"Huh" Tsuna automatically responds, "What are you talking about 9th" he asks with confusion.

The 9th adopts a cheeky smile as he replies "You've finally found a girl, that is fantastic, great news for the family".

In keeping with their levels of nerve, Chrome blushes heavily at 9th's assumption while Tsuna moves to calmly correct his predecessor.

"It's nothing like that 9th, the two of us are merely..." says the brown haired young man before he is interrupted.

"Ah, that means you will finally be able to become boss, congratulations Sawada" interjects Croquant. Croquant has no interest in the personal life of Tsuna, he has even less in the personal life of Chrome however he does have interest in retiring and giving his job to the next generation.

"We should begin wedding preparations right away" the 9th concludes, escalating the situation as quickly as possible.

"I'm actually the mist guardian" explains Chrome, the situation is making things between her and her boss very awkward.

The 9th sees Chrome trying to sabotage his plan, ' _I won't let you get off that easily Chrome'_ , "That's great, the mist guardians are... hard to control" he mentions as he looks at Croquant.

Croquant is not caught off guard by the remark though, as he looks up to the ceiling fan in the dark room he replies, "Would I have such charm as this without my free spirit, boss?".

Chrome wants to stay on topic, she has no plans to marry her boss, "The boss and I aren't dating or anything".

 _'You're persistent Chrome, I will give you that',_ 9th thinks to himself. "Oh come now, you don't have to be embarrassed, I'm really happy for the two of you".

Sawada Tsunayoshi has only watched this argument from the side-lines up until now, he knows it is a simple matter to close, well it would be if a certain set of circumstances didn't occur. Those circumstances did occur, a certain man enters the room, the only man who can truly talk down to Sawada Tsunayoshi, Sawada Iemitsu.

"Stop being so modest guys, I've seen you together lots of times" he teases as he winks to his son.

 _'Dad, what are you saying',_ thinks Tsuna, he knows his father also has dreams of retirement, he never knew that he would go this far though.

Just as Tsuna is about to speak Croquant suddenly carries the conversation away from him again, "So you two have been together a while now have you?" he asks despite knowing they haven't.

Tsuna has finally been given a chance to speak, a chance to put this matter to rest, "You guys all know we..." he starts, but he is interrupted, interrupted by the last person he expects, Chrome.

"Yes we have", Chrome smiles as she takes hold of Tsuna's hand, playing the part to the best of her ability. There is a silent sigh of relief from all the 9th generation Vongola in the room, _thank you Chrome,_ thinks the 9th, _at least one of you is willing to play along_.

The room goes silent for a moment, the relief of the majority, the anxiety of Chrome, the shock of Tsuna, everyone has an emotion that is keeping them from speaking, only the gentle turning of the ceiling fan is saving them from total silence.

"I will tell our sun guardian to begin preparations" informs Croquant as he stands up and makes for the door.

"What about the meeting?" asks Chrome.

Iemitsu places his hand on Chrome's shoulder to reassure her, "Don't worry, we can consider that after you have taken over, right now your wedding is far more important", he explains to justify his colleague's sudden disappearance.

"Tsuna, Chrome, come with me, I think we better have a talk" requests the leader of CEDEF.

"Yes I think we better", replies Tsuna as blunt as he can manage, he may hold back with others but his father will receive no special treatment from him.

As she walks down the corridor alongside Tsuna, Chrome can't help feeling slightly guilty. Although she knows she is doing a service to the Vongola family by going along with this facade, she also recognises that Tsuna has bad memories of talk about marriage, his fiancée died on him, it's a hard topic for him to be impartial on. Iemitsu realises this even more than Chrome, he is Tsuna's father, he was there first hand to witness his son's devastation following Kyoko's death however he has his job to do and right now his job is to ensure a successful transition from 9 to 10.

The three Vongola arrive in a small living room and Iemitsu sits down on a comfy leather sofa, "Please have a seat" he gestures to his two juniors.

Chrome takes the seat opposite Iemitsu but Tsuna is not in the mood for formalities.

"Cut the crap father, we all know that the two of us aren't a couple", Tsuna says, cutting to the bone of the issue right away as he angrily stares at his father.

"Listen the 9th is under a lot of pressure to allow the new boss to take over, pressure from the Varia, even pressure from my department, this is it, a way to make you the boss", Iemitsu tells Tsuna.

The young Vongola sighs, "All these stupid rules about getting married. Sorry to have dragged you into this Chrome", Tsuna apologises to Chrome.

"It's fine", Chrome says in an attempt to put Tsuna at ease.

Tsuna sets aside a moment to think about the consequences of marrying Chrome, "I bet Mukuro would be pretty angry with me" he muses.

"Mukuro and I aren't a couple" retorts Chrome, surprised by Tsuna's assumption.

"You're not?", the father and son pair question at the same time.

"OF COURSE NOT", Chrome yells at the Sawada duo.

This news is music to Iemitsu's ears, "Then couldn't the two of you at least attempt to be a couple...". Tsuna glances sideways at Chrome, ' _Chrome as my wife, I've never thought about her this way before, I guess she is cute',_ he thinks to himself, complementing his new fiancée.

"Tsuna, you're not going to find a girlfriend much more attractive than that", Iemitsu says as he points at Chrome, lacking any sense of subtlety that you would expect from a mafioso.

 _'And the magic has died',_ Tsuna says in his head, "Dad don't be so blunt, you'll put her off this whole idea", he tells the CEDEF leader.

Iemitsu changes his approach, using a new method to push the two together. "Do you enjoy being with Chrome?" he asks with a directness that has become commonplace in this debate.

"I think Chrome and I would be friends but the two of us haven't had much of a chance to talk".

That's a small but steady compliment, something Chrome can handle, she nods as she replies "Yeah, I agree with that".

"That's a good start", Iemitsu mumbles, he pushes his son in the back, "You're in Rome, take the lady out for a meal" he instructs Tsuna.

"You're so pushy", moans Tsuna, however he is moaning with a smile, "It's a good thing you are part of this family, otherwise I wouldn't be so forgiving".

The mood in the room has lifted, previously Chrome was anxious about Tsuna's potential reaction to the subject of marriage but Iemitsu handled the situation well, the sun flickers through the blinds on a nearby window and the occupants of the room are basked in it's warm glow.

Tsuna approaches his mist guardian with a confident walk, "Chrome, would you care to go out with me for a meal?", he asks with charm that now seems appropriate to his character.

"I would like that", Chrome smiles as she takes Tsuna's arm. Tsuna looks at Chrome as he concludes in his head, ' _I have no idea what to talk about, this is going to be awkward'_.

Iemitsu was left smiling as his son walked his date out of the room and towards one of Italy's finest restaurants, ' _perhaps this is the next step in Tsuna's life, go have fun kid'_.


	4. The True Successor

**SOMETHING NEW IN ITALY – THE TRUE SUCCESSOR**

 **An Expensive Hotel, Rome, Italy**

"Sorry about tonight Chrome, I'm sure it was very awkward for you", apologises Tsuna as he and Chrome walk through the corridors of their hotel.

"Not at all boss, I actually had a lot of fun, you've become a lot easier to talk to", compliments Chrome.

Tsuna smiles at that, "Thanks, I've worked hard on that".

The two of them continue to walk in silence for a moment. The corridors of the hotel reflect its costly price tag, the patterned carpet, the candlelit walls and the decorative mirrors all add to the grandeur of the old building.

Soon the pair arrive at a hotel door, "This is my room", Chrome says bringing a halt to their lengthy walk from the nearest elevator.

She opens the door and steps just inside before turning to bid farewell to Tsuna.

"Listen", he starts, "If you don't want to do this whole marriage thing, tell me at any time and I'll...".

"Boss, stop thinking about it that way" suggests Chrome. "My life so far has... well it hasn't gone very well and with...", Chrome stops, not wanting to overstep Tsuna's boundaries.

"Go on", prompts Tsuna.

"With what happened to Kyoko, maybe this is a chance for a new start, for both of us".

 _'A new start'_ , Tsuna mulls over the words in his head for a moment before smiling, he raises his hand to the back of Chrome's head before gently kissing her forehead.

"Thank you Chrome, I would really like that, I will see you soon" he promises before he turns and begins to leave.

"I hope so boss", whispers Chrome, "I hope so".

Tsuna stops just before walking around the bend in the corridor, "You can call me Tsuna you know, we're engaged after all".

"Then I guess you better start calling me Dokuro", in his eyes this changes everything.

A new start, yesterday he was struggling to retain his position of boss, today he is engaged to his mist guardian Dokuro, it really is a new start.

As he walks away from Dokuro's room and towards his own, Tsuna brandishes a huge smile on his face. It has been a long time since Tsuna has smiled, of course he has smiled at jokes, smiled while meeting people and occasionally shown a wry smile, however this is different, it's a smile from the bottom of his heart. _I look forward to getting to know you Dokuro_ , he thinks to himself, three years it has taken but he is at long last ready to move on with his life.

Dokuro shares Tsuna's smile, happy to an out of character degree, she dances her way into the main area of her hotel room. Her dance is clumsy and has no elegance to it whatsoever, it is worsened still when it is interrupted. The dance of happiness turns into a jump of shock, sitting on a small wooden chair with his feet on her dressing table is Rokudo Mukuro.

"Mukuro..." stutters Dokuro, astonished to see the previously occupied guardian in front of her.

"Chrome" he replies simply, not even turning his head towards her as she speaks to him.

There is an air of tension in the room, Mukuro is a very untrustworthy man, however he is also the man that Dokuro trusts most. ' _What is Mukuro doing here'_ , Dokuro asks to herself.

"So", Mukuro begins with a smile, "You're seeing Sawada Tsunayoshi now".

"Yes" responds Dokuro, lacking the focus to construct a whole sentence.

Mukuro's smile doesn't move, "That's good, I'm happy for you, there is just one problem".

"A problem?", says Dokuro, motioning for her partner to expand on his confusing exposition.

"Yes a problem, all those murders I committed, the reason for it is about to appear, we're leaving Sawada Tsunayoshi's group and challenging them for the Vongola successor position", explains Mukuro.

A frosty silence descends into the room as Dokuro hangs her head so she is looking at her own feet.

"No" she defiantly states.

Mukuro tries to placate Dokuro with his sharp tongue, "Chrome, I wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't important".

Once again though Dokuro responds defiantly, "No, Tsuna represents a new start for me, I won't throw that away".

Mukuro sighs at that, his face now rather sour, "I didn't want to have to do this, back when I first saved you I knew that you had one person left in your life, your mother... join me or she won't escape harm".

Dokuro's eyes visibly widen, years ago she tried to keep her mother a secret from Mukuro, back then she didn't trust him or the mafia world.

So long later, Dokuro's relations are finally being dragged into this wretched world, Dokuro starts to gently cry, "Mukuro, please, please don't hurt my mother, I will do whatever it takes, just please don't hurt her".

"Good, come with me", Mukuro stands up and leads Dokuro from the room.

 **A Warehouse, Rome, Italy**

A warehouse, this is where Mukuro has taken Dokuro. _Why has he brought me here, what does he want me to see,_ Dokuro doesn't speak these questions aloud, even if she were to ask her questions, there are so many of them Mukuro would be too pressed for time to answer.

"We're here, this is where we are meeting our new family" says Mukuro.

"A new family?", Dokuro says the words as if they are completely alien to her.

"Yes, a new family" responds her partner, "Brace yourself though, it may surprise you".

Mukuro pushes open the door, revealing a near empty room, one big huge room, that is what this warehouse is being used for. This huge empty room which has no way of retaining heat should be freezing cold at this time of night, however it is not and that is because of the one feature in the room. The one thing Dokuro can see in the room is a man sitting in a meditative position on the floor. He wears a cape that only reveals his shining blonde hair from behind however there is something more pertinent about this man, the hyper dying will flame that can be seen to just be flickering above his forehead.

 _Hyper mode, the same as Tsuna,_ Dokuro realises, this man before her is no normal man.

"Nobody else is about boss, Chrome was looking forward to meeting them", calls Mukuro to the man in the middle of the room.

The former guardian for Sawada Tsunayoshi begins to make his way to the centre of the room, approaching the blonde. Dokuro hesitantly approaches alongside Mukuro, she displays her clear sense of trepidation, not knowing what kind of threat this new boss poses.

The approach is slow and anxious, with good reason, today is a day of shocks for Dokuro. The two of them walk around him to see the face of their concentrating leader, a face Dokuro has seen once before. Dokuro staggers back in shock, the man has very similar facial features to Vongola 10th, namely the exact same features as Vongola 1st, this man before her, is identical to the man known to the family as Primo.

 _'What is going on, why is Vongola 1_ _st_ _sat before me'_ , considers Dokuro, terrified by the possibilities if this man is Tsuna's enemy. That seemed terrifying anyway, she was truly terrified only, when his eyes began to open.

The blonde's eyes opened, "OH, are you Chrome, it's great to meet you, I am Bana, Vongola Bana", Bana uses this greeting to welcome his new mist guardian.

"Vongola Bana...", mumbles Dokuro, Vongola is not a surname, it is a mafia family name.

Bana laughs, "I have no other way to give myself a full name, Vongola 1st is my father you see, I am his... genetic offspring".

Mukuro smiles, "You can call yourself his son, it wouldn't be beyond reason".

"I don't get what is going on at all", Dokuro looks at Mukuro, as if expecting him to explain everything.

"It would take a long time to explain", Mukuro says to Dokuro.

"I would love to explain it", Bana enthusiastically obliges Dokuro.

Bana begins, "It was about 6 years ago when I first grown in a facility, that's right, I wasn't born as a baby but as an adult".

"My... creators didn't give me much to do, to deal with, much in the way of communication, however my father Vongola 1st appeared in my subconscious and gave me a few simple messages".

"Please protect the Vongola family, Vongola 10th has been decided, please help Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"One day a few years ago, I just woke up, I was in the outside world, I couldn't believe it, I was free."

"I tested out my powers, perhaps I hadn't been fully grown as I fell just short of my father, however the power was still significant, I could help the family at long last."

"I went to a branch of the family and found out what was going on, on that very same day, Sawada Tsunayoshi sat by and did nothing as his friends fell victim to that car crash."

"I won't let someone like that ruin my father's family, I'm going to stop that bastard."

 _'I don't think Bana is a bad person, he just has the wrong idea about Tsuna. However, if I tell him that, will Mukuro leave my mother alone',_ Dokuro toys with these ideas in her head.

Mukuro smiles knowingly at Dokuro, confirming in her mind that her mother won't be safe if she speaks up.

"When I found out about Bana a couple of years ago, he was in a bad place, his tantrums were getting him in legal trouble all over the world", explains Mukuro. "He needed help to get back on the right track, and now look at you, you're ready to challenge Sawada Tsunayoshi".

"That's right, back then I was in a bad place, I have to admit I even killed a couple of people out of rage... but Mukuro has really helped me turn around, now I am going to win, for Vongola, for my father and for me".

Dokuro finally manages to smile, even if Mukuro can't be trusted, this man can. They indulge in pleasant conversation about the trivial matters in life for a while, until eventually Dokuro leaves, aiming to get back to the hotel before Tsuna can become suspicious.

"Well, how was I?" asks Bana as he returns to his seated position, his gaze moving away from Mukuro.

His mist guardian replies with a smile, "Your performance was excellent, you can let the other guy out now".

"Thank god for that", Bana sighs, "Don't get me wrong, I believe in all that goody-goody crap, I really do but... sometimes my rage just takes over you know".

"I know, believe me when I say, all of these murders will help to stop that", justifies Mukuro.

"I hope you are right" mutters Bana, "Because right now, I really want to kill that shithead".

Dokuro reflects on the night as she walks back towards the hotel. ' _He is a lot like Tsuna, it's a shame they have to fight. One of them is a kind-hearted boy from a friendly family in Japan, the other an experiment, raised by his long since dead father in a laboratory. One of them is the son of Vongola 1_ _st_ _, one of them the chosen successor by the man himself. Both of them are qualified to be that successor, so I have to wonder... who is the true successor'._


	5. I'm Sorry

**SOMETHING NEW IN ITALY – I'M SORRY**

 **One Month Later, A Small Coffee Shop, Rome, Italy**

Iemitsu sits outside the coffee shop, watching the people of the city walk by. Thoughts float through his mind like leaves in the wind; ' _these people don't know about our strength, I wonder how they would feel if they knew, would they be afraid'._ The reason for him being here is to discuss his son's relationship with Dokuro, the woman who will hopefully be part of his family in the near future.

The waitress approaches Iemitsu before his guest arrives, they have been here many times before though so he orders their usual drinks in expectation that he will arrive soon. Just down the road from here is the coliseum, ' _I wonder if a Vongola has ever fought in the coliseum_ , _I wonder if Tsuna will ever fight in the coliseum, I wonder what his mother would think'_. Iemitsu laughs aloud at that last thought, Nana (his wife), wouldn't react kindly to discovering her sons hidden powers through a news announcement, that would take some explaining.

"Hello, Iemitsu" says the 9th as he walks up to the table and sits down across from Iemitsu.

Iemitsu smiles, "I hope you don't mind, I ordered the usual for you".

"Not at all, I would have ordered the same anyway, we always do after all", says 9th with a hint of nostalgia.

"We've been at this too long you and I", Iemitsu sighs, sharing his boss' sentiments.

"Yes we have" agrees the 9th.

"We will be getting rid of these jobs soon Iemitsu, that's what we are here to discuss", 9th reminds his co-worker, formalising the tone of conversation.

"Is Basil ready", asks the 9th, choosing Iemitsu's successor as the first subject for discussion.

"Basil is ready, he is excited to take over and he has the respect of everyone in the department, unless you want to introduce rules about him being married" jokes Iemitsu.

9th has to smile at that, "No, that's great, you've done a good job with that boy, now to the most important question, are Tsuna and Chrome getting married".

Iemitsu maintains his good mood, "As far as I can tell 9th, they like each other, really like each other, I think they are prepared to be married if that's what they need to do".

The words that 9th wanted to hear so desperately have been said, Tsuna and Dokuro are going to accept their fate and get married.

The 9th smiles widely, "Then I say we have a celebration tonight Iemitsu".

"A celebration?".

"Yeah, it's our retirement party, we'll finish here, go out for a meal and then head out well into the night" the 9th plans jovially.

"Hey, aren't we getting a bit old for that, we're not youngsters anymore you know", Iemitsu calmly reminds his boss.

"Come on, we can be young again for one more night, your son is getting married Iemitsu", 9th raises a cup to his long term friend and colleague.

Iemitsu laughs, "Well, I'll drink to that", and with that he taps his cup against the 9th's and begins to drink.

 **In the Italian Lakes**

The boat slowly floats along the water on the sunny and beautiful day. The islands are famous for being pictures, a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Dokuro stares in amazement at the view in front of her, after spending several years in hiding with Mukuro, coming to a foreign country and being taken to see the sights is a thrilling experience. All this has been made her reality by Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna doesn't say anything while the boat moves towards their destination, he is content to just watch Dokuro's delightful facial expressions.

The boat eventually stops on an island, the few passengers that paid to ride on it get off in an orderly fashion, heading off in a variety of different directions, looking for their own little spot, their own little part of paradise. It's a romantic island, those disembarking from the boat are chiefly couples, of course on this day Tsuna and Dokuro are no different, they are engaged despite only seeing each other for one month.

The island is small but very steep, the contours make for a challenging climb for beginners, the people on the boat however cannot even be classified as beginners, for they have no climbing experience. The island has a small marked out path which you can attempt to climb if you wish to get right to the top of the island. A tough ask for a normal person, only two people make it to the top of the island, naturally these two are Tsuna and Dokuro. The two haven't got the appearance of athletic individuals causing embarrassment to some of the fitter men and women who didn't make it to the top, despite this they have the physical capabilities required to overcome the Varia, the Millefiore, the Shimon, a small climb like this is nothing to them.

At the top of the island Tsuna and Dokuro decide to sit down and take in the view, being the gentlemen he is Tsuna generates Primo's cape and offers it to Dokuro to sit on. The two of them decided to share the cloth in the end and share a light hug as they stare at the beautiful archipelago which can be seen in every direction.

"The climb was worth it" comments Dokuro, still awed at the experiences she is sharing with Tsuna.

"Yeah, it most definitely was" agree Tsuna. "I tried to be romantic and all that stuff, this was the best thing I could come up with" he says, explaining his choice of trip to his partner.

"It's nice, I'm really glad you chose this place" Dokuro replies.

Tsuna tells Dokuro about a time his father brought him these islands, he recalls being just a naïve kid at the time, Little-Tsu, that makes Dokuro laugh, she loves hearing him talk about the past. Tsuna confidently tells his funny story to his fiancée, already knowing that she would laugh at the adventures of Little-Tsu and his bag of naïve assumptions.

The duo are enjoying themselves, however Dokuro suddenly reminded of something that has bothered her for nearly a month. ' _I have to betray Tsuna when the time comes, that hurts... I might be in love with this man, but I still have to betray him, for mother'._ Dokuro thinks back again and realises what just went through her mind, ' _I knew I was getting close to him but the word love has never come up before, dammit, this all isn't fair'_.

"I want to ask you one last time Dokuro, to make sure that you are sure, are you really OK with marrying me" asks Tsuna.

"It's still not too late to change your mind" he offers. Dokuro stutters,

"Tsuna, I've said it before, I want to marry you, understand".

Tsuna smiles, "I'm not saying it like that, I'm just making absolutely certain before I do this", Tsuna pulls out a small jewellery box from his suit pocket before he gets on to one knee and opens it.

Inside the box is a ring, clearly from the size of it and the quality of the cuts it was very expensive, something probably expected from a mafia boss.

"Chrome Dokuro, I think I am in love with you, will you marry me" asks Tsuna.

A million times one word runs through Dokuro's head, _yes_ , tears stream down her face as her boss kneels before her ring in hand.

"I… I… I love you too but I can't… I've betrayed you Tsuna" she responds as she gets on to her feet and walks hastily across the hilltop.

"Hey Dokuro, are you OK, what are you talking about, betrayed me?" asks Tsuna, more puzzled about what is happening than angry about rejection.

Dokuro is still walking away at full speed, _I owe him an explanation_ , she postulates. She stops and turns to Tsuna.

"I didn't mean to but… Mukuro and I, we've found another boss" she says fighting through her own tears.

Tsuna replies, "I don't mind you leaving the Vongola family but that doesn't explain your answer, come on Dokuro, surely you owe me a real answer".

Tsuna misunderstanding Dokuro's betrayal makes everything even harder for her, "I haven't left the Vongola family, I've joined another member, I am going to be their mist guardian".

"Another member, there is only one mist guardian in the Vongola family, you're not joining the Varia are you", asks Tsuna, still not understanding the problem.

"You don't understand Tsuna, the people I've sided with… we are challenging you for the Vongola rings".

"Another ring conflict, are you being serious Dokuro, so many of our friends could get hurt", Tsuna says, struggling to hold back his own tears now.

Dokuro simply says to him, "I'm sorry".


	6. The two Meet

**SOMETHING NEW IN ITALY – THE TWO MEET**

 **In the Italian Lakes**

Dokuro looks at Tsuna solemnly not knowing how to act in this situation. It would have been easier if he was angry, if he was furious but he wasn't, he just stood there in silence.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault" yells a man who slowly approaches from behind Tsuna.

Dokuro raises her head in shock "Bana…".

The blonde man approaches, Dokuro's boss Vongola Bana. Tsuna turns his head slowly to look at the newcomer, _he looks like Primo… is this Dokuro's new boss_?

"You must be the current Vongola boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi, it's an honour to meet you, I am Chrome's boss Vongola Bana" Bana introduces himself to his rival.

That moment has finally come where the two meet, the tension created by their auras is almost palpable to Dokuro, ' _I never imagined that things would be so intense when their gazes first met'._

Tsuna looks Bana over as he thinks to himself, ' _you may look like Primo but you are just an imitation, you will go like all the others'._

Bana has similar thoughts for Tsuna, ' _the Vongola boss who defeated Bermuda, does he think that will be enough against me'_.

"I must apologise Tsunayoshi, Rokudo Mukuro approached me in a difficult period of my life, he offered to be my mist guardian if I challenged you for the position of 10th, Chrome was part of that deal" Bana explains.

Tsuna struggles to believe this, "Mukuro never told you that he was already my mist guardian".

"Never" replies Bana.

"Then what about Dokuro?" asks Tsuna.

When he gets no response the young Vongola boss turns to look at his fiancée, "Well, did you tell him you were my mist guardian?".

Dokuro replies out of fear for her mother, "No, I didn't", this causes an awkward silence to descend over the hill top as Tsuna hangs his head.

Bana allows himself a small smile, he understands exactly what is going through Tsuna's mind.

"If you like, Chrome can become your mist guardian again, I didn't know you two were so close before this" says Bana.

Regardless of this offer, Bana already knows what Tsuna is going to say, they are of a similar disposition.

"That's fine" offers Tsuna, "Since that is how it went you can keep her as your guardian".

Bana's tone changes from one of sympathy to one of enthusiasm, "Sawada Tsunayoshi from this point take note, I am officially challenging you for the position of Vongola 10th and his guardians".

Dokuro takes the opportunity to focus her mind on something other than how hurt Tsuna is, "Wait a moment, Tsuna won't have a mist guardian, how is this fair, we would have to…", however she is interrupted by Tsuna.

"It's OK" says the brown haired man, "You can have the mist match, we will win the others anyway".

With that Tsuna begins to walks off, heading down the hill with no emotion displayed on his face. It is clear to both Dokuro and Bana that he is devastated, Dokuro begins to run towards Tsuna but is stopped by Bana's hand on her shoulder.

"It is best to leave him alone right now, trying to cheer him up would just make him even more sad" says Dokuro's new boss. To that Dokuro simply nods in reply.

"I'm going to leave, I came on another boat, if you want to come with me it's this way" suggests Bana as he walks down the hill the opposite way to Tsuna.

Dokuro looks in Tsuna's direction then Bana's direction in turn but she heads neither, she just collapses to the floor and continues to cry, this day she has lost the bond that she worked so hard to build with her boss.

 **A few hours later, the Vongola Mansion**

A still dejected Tsuna walks in to see a drunk Iemitsu and 9th boss.

"AH TSUNA" shouts his father, "you were proposing today right, how did it go".

"We are both looking forward to hearing about it" adds the 9th.

"We're not getting married, she's found another boss and they are challenging us for the position of 10th" Tsuna dimly declares.

"WHAT" shout both Iemitsu and the 9th.

"I need to be alone for a while, I hope that doesn't bother you" says Tsuna as he leaves the mansion.

9th and Iemitsu look at each other, one of them is his boss, the other his father and yet neither know what to say to him in this situation.

Tsuna wonders out of the Vongola mansion, not in the mood to take in the moon lit views. It's a well-lit night and the air is pleasantly cool, it would have been nice weather to enjoy a romantic walk in, if Dokuro had said yes.

Tsuna has a lot of thoughts going through his mind, ' _why did he look like Primo, why did she side with him, why did Mukuro betray me, are my friends going to get hurt again, have I let down the 9_ _th'_ _._ None of the things he thinks about bring any pleasure to Tsuna.

He ventures into Rome looking for somewhere to clear his mind, he walks through the centre to find that at this time of night the streets are lined with people at the doors of clubs, happy people, excited people, violent people, people being sick, each one of them still happier than him. While wandering through a back alley to avoid the clubs Tsuna is confronted by some muggers, they clearly chose their target wrong. Tsuna is more violent than usual in the beating he gives them; he leaves the alley at the other end with his clothes barely ruffled.

Decimo, as Primo had insisted on calling him, decided to wonder further from the centre of Rome, he found a nice spot to sit down a bench just beside a lake. Tsuna stared into the water, maybe just for something different to look at but the only thing he can see in the water is Dokuro's face. In a moment of pure frustration Tsuna stands up and slams his foot through the bench. A few splinters line his body but the pain doesn't bother the young boss, he simply dusts himself off before walking over to the other bench.

 **The next day, in Rome**

Tsuna is asleep on the bench still, emotionally exhausted from the previous day. Several passers-by look at Tsuna with disgust, his state proving displeasing for them to see. Fortunately for the future boss a passing individual was a member of the Bovino family.

Since Lambo's rise to prominence in the mafia world the Bovino family had re-established their good relations with the Vongola. This woman walked up to the bench and gently shook Tsuna by the shoulder. Tsuna opened his eyes to see this suit-clad woman before him.

"Excuse me, I am a member of the Bovino family, aren't you the young masters brother, Sawada Tsunayoshi".

"Yeah, that's me" responds Tsuna as he sits up and looks into the lake.

"Thank you for waking me, these people are all giving me a funny look" says Tsuna.

After a small discussion about Tsuna's wellbeing and ability to get home the woman from the Bovino family continues on her way. Tsuna continues to stare into the lake, unable to see anything but Dokuro's face, eventually driven to madness by this constant reminder of yesterday Tsuna throws a nearby rock into the water, creating a splash big enough to surprise everyone around him. Tsuna gives little notice to their stares as he continues gazing at the ripples on the lake.

After staring for long enough a different reflection appears in the lake, no longer is Tsuna looking into the eyes of Chrome Dokuro, the one who appears instead is Gokudera Hayato.

"I hear you've been backed into a corner 10th" says the storm guardian.

Tsuna turns around with haste as if to confirm that what he is seeing isn't an illusion. There are no illusions here, standing before him are his storm guardian, his rain guardian, his sun guardian, his lightning guardian, his cloud guardian and even his home tutor have arrived.

"Everyone, you really came" says Tsuna, looking happy for the first time in 24 hours.

"Of course we did, we've been waiting for this for an extremely long time" Ryohei reminds Tsuna.

"Yeah, you're our friend after all Tsuna" explains Yamamoto.

"Papa and Mamma told me I had to come" moans Lambo as he picks his nose,

"Shut up" Reborn reprimands as he hits Lambo on the head.

"I warned you about Mukuro, oh well, fighting him will be interesting" remarks Hibari.

The tenth generation Vongola family has all gathered at the request of the 9th Vongola boss to help Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"I don't care who made you upset" claims Gokudera, "but we're going to kick their ass for hurting the 10th".

"YES" respond the entire group, the confrontation is now set in place, Giotto's chosen one vs Giotto's son, Sawada Tsunayoshi vs Vongola Bana, the two of them are on a collision course.


	7. The Other Option

**COLLISION COURSE – THE OTHER OPTION**

 **Midnight, A Temple, Tokyo**

Kozato Enma accelerates from a walk to a run, he's late. Earlier that day he was informed by his glacier guardian, Adelheid Suzuki that he had been invited to a meeting here. This meeting must be important, few people knew about the existence of the Shimon family and all who did were of great importance in the mafia world.

Enma reached the top of the steps to see two familiar figures waiting for him.

"Byakuran, Xanxus, what are you two doing here?" asks the Shimon boss.

"You invited me Enma" responds Byakuran.

"I did nothing of the sort" replies Enma, indicating to all present that something was wrong.

"Meaning this was a trap, we were all set up so that we arrived here simultaneously" notes Xanxus.

Suddenly a medium sized man walks out of a nearby shadow. "Good to meet you all, my name is Vongola Bana" says the newcomer.

Silence descends around the temple as the three look at Bana in shock, _even I couldn't sense him, what sort of man is he,_ Enma thinks to himself. Xanxus, Byakuran and Enma are all people who have fought evenly against Sawada Tsunayoshi on previous occasions, not being able to detect someone a few meters away is unthinkable for them.

"Vongola…" the word slips from Xanxus tongue as if he has never heard it before.

Byakuran recalls something Yuni described to him, "Is it any coincidence that you look identical to Vongola the 1st".

Bana shows a smug smile to the trio, "I am his true successor, chosen by the heavens themselves" he proclaims.

Enma smiles at that "You're Tsuna's successor?".

"No, Sawada Tsunayoshi causes destruction everywhere he goes, he is a liability to the Vongola family" says Bana with a frown on his face, "I have come to ask that you don't interfere in our ring contest".

Xanxus starts to put the pieces together and doesn't like where this is going, "The rings were disbanded, there are no more ring contests" he says to Bana.

"The rings are merely ceremonious now, they are still used for deciding a successor though" retorts the boss candidate. "Please bear witness to our fair contest" Bana requests with a smile.

Enma is young and naïve, compared to Xanxus and Byakuran who have witnessed true darkness in this world, Enma is still relatively sheltered.

Enma approaches Bana and shakes his hand with a smile of his own, "I think you have the wrong idea about Tsuna but you seem like a good guy".

"Good luck, I'm sure you and I will meet again regardless of the result" says Enma.

"I hope so Kozato Enma" sighs Bana as Enma disappears back down the steps.

Bana turns to Xanxus and Byakuran with a smile, "So are you two also…".

The one to interrupt him is Xanxus, "We are not as naïve as that kid, this string of murders are your responsibility aren't they, only you could have done it".

"So that's how you became so strong so quickly" says Byakuran with a lowered head, he then raises his gaze to look Bana in the eyes, "Did you actually… dare to steal people's dying will".

The dying will flame is as the name suggests, a flame which allows you to use your dying will, amplifying your mental and physical prowess to their limit. This dying will is only felt by most people as they are dying, however mafioso are able to manipulate it freely, stealing it from people as they die is a great sin.

Xanxus continues to remember information that Squalo recovered for him, "So Rokudo Mukuro, he was working for you all along, typical mist guardian".

Bana gets angry at that statement, "Rokudo Mukuro is a great mist guardian, he helped me during a dark part of my life".

"You haven't come very far then have you" Byakuran remarks snidely as he looks at something out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't care about the trash's fate, just leave the Varia alone" demands Xanxus.

Bana smiles at him "Rest assured, you will command the Varia as long as you live while I am boss".

Xanxus steps back, almost out of fear, something very uncharacteristic for him, ' _that's an interesting way of putting it… well if he doesn't make a move on me, I won't make one on him'_.

Byakuran is not as held back as Xanxus in this situation, "Regardless of whether you are an evil person or not, Tsunayoshi is a good man who forgave me for my future sins" he explains.

"The Millefiore family is privileged and proud to be allied with a man such as him, we don't share that same pride for murder".

Bana frowns for a moment then smiles out of the side of his mouth, he lowers his head so that he looks out of the top of his eyes and he asks Byakuran, "Then are you going to do something about it… Lord Byakuran".

"It's just Byakuran these days" says Byakuran as a huge aura flares around him, "And yes, I'm going to put you in your place".

Xanxus stands to the side of Byakuran, this is not the same Xanxus nor the same Byakuran that encountered the present day Sawada Tsunayoshi in the future however they both know about what happened, they both understand each other.

 _'I forgot that this Millefiore guy is unbelievably strong'_ , Xanxus notes to himself.

Byakuran is a man with the ability to travel to parallel worlds, to learn everything there is to be learnt about science, culture, geography, history, combat and now, he is going to fight this murderer.

Xanxus head is then drawn quickly back to Bana as he feels his strength, ' _a hyper dying will flame'_.

Bana adorns the same flame on his forehead that can be seen on Sawada Tsunayoshi, the hyper dying will flame discovered by Vongola 1st and Shimon 1st.

"Put me in my place, very well, do it if you have the ability".

Byakuran immediately points his finger at Bana, _white finger_ , a beam of pure energy shoots towards Bana.

Bana thinks nothing of the attack and simply punches the beam as it arrives sending it straight back at Byakuran.

Byakuran brings his hands together around the deflected beam attack, ' _white applause'_ , Byakuran winces as the beam dissipates, a seemingly meaningless exchange but Byakuran has had the first part of his energy drained.

Byakuran begins to plan for the battle ahead, _I need to stay calm_ , but then he gasps upon finding that Bana arrived right before him in only a moment.

"Is that the limit to your speed?" asks Bana as he swings his fist towards Byakuran.

Byakuran narrows his eyes and leaps backwards as his white dragon appears from behind his back and flies at Bana so as to attack him.

Bana once again unfazed stretches his hand out and touches the white dragon, a large crystalline structure begins to form around the creature, _first edition_.

Byakuran takes advantage of the momentary distraction and places his palm out before his body, ' _TAKE THIS'_ , Byakuran blasts Bana using his full strength, sending residual dust and smoke everywhere.

Xanxus stares at the fight with wide eyes, it has been a long time since he has seen anything like this, ' _that was an incredible attack… however'_.

Bana emerges from the attack again, not unscathed like last time, a few tears have been made in his clothes.

Byakuran staggers back slightly, ' _impossible, that was my full power, is this all the damage it did, it's like his body didn't even get hit'_.

"This technique he created, custom, it's very impressive" compliments Bana as the flame on his head grows noticeably. Bana has taken Byakuran's dying will flames and made them his own. Xanxus refocuses his posture and mentally notes that Bana can use the zero-point breakthrough even quicker than Tsuna.

Bana again approaches Byakuran with a speed he cannot react to, _chop_ , that moment was all it took for Bana to lower his flat palm and cut off Byakuran's arm.

Xanxus stares unable to believe what he is seeing as Byakuran clutches at his shoulder to stop the flow of blood.

"Was he able to put up this much of a fight? Were you so strong when the two of you fought? Compared to me that guy is NOTHING".

Byakuran retreats by leaping backwards and into the air looking down at Bana as he backs off, suddenly though Bana disappears from his sights, _where_.

Bana was behind Byakuran and quickly punched him in the back sending Byakuran flying down into the ground, the vibrations so strong that Xanxus has to readjust his footing to maintain balance.

Byakuran rolls from his front onto his back, turning his head as he spits blood from his mouth. He turns back to look at Bana, ' _Sawada Tsunayoshi is like a godsend to everyone, and this guy is… he's the alternative'_.

"That was really a pathetic effort" says Bana as he gathers dying will flames on his glove.

Byakuran dares to show a smile for the first time in this fight, "You know, Sawada Tsunayoshi… he will definitely… end you… just like all the others" he says while struggling for breath.

"Are you so sure?" asks Bana as he closes his eyes and the flame expands from his forehead to his entire body.

Byakuran's expression changes again, his mouth opens slightly and his eyes as wide as they have ever been, ' _he can do it too, the ultimate dying will flame'_.

Xanxus shares Byakuran's shock, ' _I've only seen the trash do this once, he's never needed to do it a second time… this guy's power, it's immeasurable'._

Bana has only focus on his face, "An all-out attack is too good for you" he states blandly.

Byakuran does a quick gesture with his hands as if to unleash a technique, ' _here I go Yuni, just like you taught me'_.

"I will kill you in one blow", Bana casually motions as if he is throwing a ball as flames fly down towards Byakuran.

Byakuran smiles as his last moment approaches him, ' _I believe in you, Sawada Tsunayoshi'_.

A huge amount of flames engulfs Byakuran, he screams as he disappears into the fire, its destructive power extreme to the point where all that they leave is a pile of ash.

Bana falls down from the sky and the dying will flame from his body disappears. He doesn't bother to look at Xanxus again, he simply begins walking down the steps.

Xanxus exhales deeply, ' _I can't let that guy near Vongola, Trash, I hope you are doing something right because none of us can endure the other option'_.


	8. You had Faith in me

**COLLISION COURSE – YOU HAD FAITH IN ME**

 **The Hall in the Vongola Mansion**

It's a rainy day in Rome, Tsuna and his guardians are training indoors as a result. The one guardian who is missing is Hibari Kyoya who of course didn't come due to his hatred of crowding. At the top of the staircase is a nice little spot where one could sit to observe the training, something Reborn took full advantage of. The 10th generation are feeling laid back with the exception Ryohei who as always insists on going to the extreme, they remained laid back until a surprise guest stormed into the hall, that man was the 9th's adopted son Xanxus.

Xanxus stopped in his tracks to observe the training session, "You are… warming up?" he asks with a stutter.

Tsuna smiles, this is the first time Xanxus has made the first move in creating conversation, "Xanxus… yeah, we're loosening our bodies for a fight" replies Tsuna.

"The opponent is strong but the guardians should be too weak to…" Tsuna is interrupted as Xanxus punches him in the head.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING". A small smile appears on Reborn's face. "This is not an opponent you can afford to take lightly" reminds Xanxus, "Your friend from the future, he fought against him and died, a victim to the ultimate dying will flame".

"B… Byakuran" mumbles Tsuna, shocked at the sudden loss of a friend.

Gokudera takes a few steps towards Tsuna and the Varia leader, "Why should we believe you, you've been against the 10th this whole time" comments the storm guardian.

Prior to Tsuna going missing Xanxus usually opposed Tsuna becoming boss, the last ring conflict saw Xanxus face Sawada Tsunayoshi in a brutal contest. Some enmity between the guardians and the Varia still lingered as should be expected.

"We're all going to suffer when that guy gets into power," says Xanxus. "I'm not going to tell you what happened when we met, but if you take that guy lightly you are going to die".

Xanxus storms off towards a nearby corridor. In no mood to continue the conversation with people who refuse to take this threat seriously.

"Where are you going Xanxus?" asks Tsuna.

"I'm going to make preparations for the Varia's safety when you lose," replies the son of the 9th.

With that, Xanxus disappears down the corridor leaving the guardians to continue what they were doing. None of them however continue to train; all of them are just left looking at their feet. They don't make a sound for a minute or so until eventually the young Vongola boss speaks up.

"He's right isn't he Reborn" Tsuna asks his home tutor.

"Of course" Reborn flatly replies.

Tsuna may have taken the enemy too lightly, however this is a man who has defeated many challenging opponents in the past. He uses the sky flame because he appropriately represents the role of caring for all and being stained by all, he has worked hard with his guardians before. Sawada Tsunayoshi knows exactly how to make the people around him stronger.

"You were the sun arcobaleno, please train Ryohei" Tsuna beseeches Reborn.

"I am part of the Vongola family too, you will be my next boss, of course I will do what you say" Reborn smiles as he makes this promise to Tsuna.

Tsuna has always been able to count on Reborn. His life first started to change when his mother contacted a home tutor and was answered by the baby in a suit. Reborn is the reason he was able to make so many great friends, the reason he was able to become so strong. Tsuna relies a great deal on this young teacher of his, the trust the two of them share has no limit.

"Hibari will probably train by himself" comments Tsuna.

"That just leaves you three" says Tsuna as he looks at his younger brother and his two good friends.

"Gokudera, please train Lambo" Tsuna asks of his right hand man with a bow.

"The stupid cow?" asks Gokudera. "Ha, I can try some of my new bombs on him, that will be good training" he suggests with enthusiasm.

"New bombs?" questions Tsuna, Gokudera had stopped using bombs as his main weapon long ago.

"That's right, I can make bombs purely out of dying will, very potent bombs, of any variety as well" explains the storm guardian. "Perhaps some lightning bombs are in order".

"Lightning doesn't hurt Lambo" retorts the youngest guardian in an attempt to annoy Gokudera.

"Good point stupid cow, I better use fire bombs" says Gokudera with a smile.

"Good idea Lambo" reinforces Tsuna.

"Uh…" replies Lambo, only now realising his own mistake.

Tsuna turns wordlessly to his last remaining guardian. Yamamoto Takeshi, his rain guardian. Tsuna has known Yamamoto the longest out of all his guardians, the baseball lover was easy to talk to and get along with, one of his first friends. In the past Yamamoto had been trained by his own father, by Squalo and even by Reborn however as to his trains him now.

"I have no idea who should train you Yamamoto" says the young Sawada with a dumb look on his face.

"Haha, thanks Tsuna" replies Yamamoto, "Don't worry though, I have plenty of ways to train by myself".

 **About 1 hour later, in the Vongola Mansion**

Xanxus sits at a desk sorting through some files, doing his best to work out a way to keep all of the members of the Varia safe. One thing Xanxus won't admit to in conversation is that he has become a lot more attached to his subordinates in recent years. Inspired by what he saw from Sawada Tsunayoshi and the friendship offered to him by Squalo, he has come to appreciate friends and allies. One person who hopes to identify as his friend walks through the door that very moment.

"Xanxus" says the newcomer, in order to gain his attention.

"Trash" Xanxus momentarily raises his head and offers his customary greeting to Sawada Tsunayoshi, the man his father wants him to work under.

"What's the matter" asks Xanxus, "Were you expecting me to call you boss?".

Tsuna sees through the attitude of his peer, "You have respect for me, I already know that… that's why you were hoping that I would save you".

Xanxus quickly raises his head from his papers again, "Save me, what are you talking about trash" asks the Varia leader.

"When you came in, you were angry that I was unprepared because you were expecting me to protect you and the Varia" offers Tsuna with an understanding smile.

It's the first time in many years that Tsuna has truly felt a feeling of camaraderie towards Xanxus, they were now two men with a common goal, to stop Bana. Xanxus doesn't share Tsuna's optimism at the situation though.

"Me, expecting protection from you?" he questions.

Tsuna begins to reach his hand out towards Xanxus shoulder before he is stopped.

"DON'T TOUCH ME" yells Xanxus as he jerks his shoulder away.

Tsuna doesn't let Xanxus off though and he proceeds to grab his shoulder, "Even if it was only for a moment Xanxus, you made me really happy, because you had faith in me". Tsuna continues, "That's what the leader of the Varia should expect from his boss".

Xanxus quickly raises to his feet sending a few of his papers off the desk. He quickly moves to exit the room and only stops when he reaches the door. Tsuna stares at the back of his family member, wondering what he is thinking.

"You're not my boss, get away from me" demands Xanxus as he opens the door before him.

"I've come to ask you for something" Tsuna quickly declares stopping Xanxus in his tracks, "You're the only one who can provide me with what I need".

"What could you possibly want from me" questions Xanxus.

Tsuna reacts to the question in a way Xanxus didn't expect, he bowed.

"Please train me" requests Tsuna as he maintains his respectful posture towards his prospective teacher.

Xanxus laughs, "Now I didn't expect that, me train you, ha". Xanxus lowers his head and his eyes widen as he realises Tsuna has not ceased to bow to him.

"You seriously want my training?" he asks, "The great Vongola boss the 10th, wants to become my student?".

"That's right" replies Tsuna instantly.

"Very well, but my training is hell itself, if you can survive this, I will be more than ready to acknowledge you as boss" promises the assassination specialist.

"Thank you very much Xanxus" thanks Tsuna with a smile. A promise like this from Xanxus is a big deal, a very out of character move.

"I'm going to get Mammon" Xanxus opens the door and takes the first step out.

"Mammon, why?" inquires Tsuna.

"You're not just going through my training, you're going through Varia training, don't worry Trash, I will have you more than ready to be Vongola 10th after you've been through this" promises Xanxus.

"Perhaps I'm going to regret this" Tsuna postulates.

"Oh you most definitely will" smiles Xanxus.

 **Elsewhere in the Vongola Mansion**

Nothing can be heard in this room except the cool slicing of air. The sword master Yamamoto Takeshi spins with the elegance of a gymnast and the grace of a dancer as he practices his sword techniques. He continues to train on his own occasionally stopping to look at the rain, his assigned weather, out of the window. Until eventually, he sees a ghost.

"WHO'S THERE" Yamamoto shouts as he spins and points his sword towards the ghost.

"Only me…" replies the ghost with his signature giggle, "Yuni's technique worked".

"By… Byakuran" notices Yamamoto, "I thought you were dead, no, this has to be an illusion".

"Well sort of, my body was destroyed, this is merely an ethereal form of myself" explains the Millefiore boss.

"I don't really understand" Yamamoto scratches his head.

"A ghost" says Byakuran as simply as possible.

"Oh, so are you immortal" Yamamoto quizzes Byakuran, eager to learn of his friends capabilities.

"This ghost will die if it doesn't quickly find a body to latch onto" explains Byakuran, "That's where you come in".

"I'm not giving you control of my body" replies Yamamoto, quickly closing off that avenue.

"I'm not suggesting you do, all I need is a small part of your brain to maintain my consciousness, it won't affect you at all" says Byakuran.

"That sounds pretty cool" Yamamoto smiles, expressing his inner child, "What is the downside though".

"Only you will be able to see and hear me, at least until I find a real body" reveals Byakuran.

"Oh, wait so you will be able to see everything I see, how will I maintain privacy" asks the sushi chef.

Byakuran has a little giggle at that, "I know when to look and when not to" he replies. "Anyway, I'm not asking you to do this for free".

Yamamoto looks curiously at Byakuran, "You're going to pay me".

"It's nothing like that, if you promise to protect the Millefiore family in my place, then I will teach you a few of my moves, what do you say" offers Byakuran, stretching out his ethereal fist towards Yamamoto.

"I promise Byakuran, that offer, is too good to turn down" says Yamamoto as he bumps fists with his ghostly new partner.

At that moment the training was set in stone, one speech from Xanxus has put everyone on the right course, and for guardians, that course is a collision course.


	9. Training

**COLLISION COURSE – TRAINING**

 **Two Weeks Later, In the Varia Headquarters, Near Rome**

An alarming sight can be seen in the Varia Headquarters, specifically the interrogation room. If Tsuna's guardians knew that he was in here they would likely rush to his aid, that's why he specifically avoided telling them. Tsuna is chained to an interrogation rack, firmly secured by Squalo at the command of his boss.

"VOI, he won't be getting free now" yells Squalo with his usual enthusiastic demeanour.

 _'He's more like Gokudera than he realises'_ , Tsuna thinks to himself. He looks around the room he is in, the only thing it can be compared to is an old uncared for cellar. The room not only smells damp but water can occasionally be heard dripping from the ceiling, the lack of fresh air or even light from a window focuses Tsuna's attention on what is happening before him.

During these past two weeks Tsuna has learnt from each of the Varia, some basic power techniques from Lussuria, the principles of electrical attacks from Levi, how to throw projectiles from Belphegor, how to use a blade from Squalo and even how to cast weak illusions by Mammon. These two weeks of training have brought Tsuna closer to the members of the Varia, reaffirming their status as Vongola under his protection in his mind.

As to what Xanxus has in mind at the moment Tsuna is unsure. ' _Perhaps he intends to torture me',_ postulates the young boss. If the Varia decided to turn on him at this moment, there would be nothing he could do.

"Do I have to be tied up like this?" asks Tsuna.

"It's vitally important" says Xanxus in a near tone of voice as he nods to Mammon.

Mammon has grown up along with the rest of the arcobaleno but his choice of clothing hasn't changed, he still adorns the same face paint and wear's the same reclusive robe. Placing his hands together Mammon gestures to create a powerful illusion.

As Mammon's abilities kick in a young golden haired woman appears before Tsuna. This young woman turns to him and her vacant expression changes into an energetic smile. An important woman from Tsuna's past has appeared, his former fiancée Sasagawa Kyoko.

"Tsuna" says Kyoko with a cheerful expression.

"Kyoko?" stutters Tsuna, "No it's only an illusion of Kyoko, a fake".

Tsuna admires the woman before him, although she is an illusion she is still very realistic. The emotions within the young man's brain are strong at this moment, not many people could identify this woman as in illusion, as she reaches out to touch him, a small part of him wishes they could touch again.

Suddenly a huge array of flames sideswipe Kyoko, Tsuna listens to her screams in horror as she disappears slowly from his vision. Laboured breathing can be heard by the members of the Varia observing Tsuna, it's easy for mafioso like them to judge that he is in a state of panic.

Tsuna turns his head to the side to look at a smiling Xanxus.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Tsuna demands of his teacher.

"Nothing…" comments Xanxus with a slight sigh, "Fine, again Mammon".

"Stop" begs Tsuna as Mammon begins to conjure another illusion.

Tsuna's plea falls on death ears though. For several minutes a continuous cycle occurs, Mammon generates an illusion of Kyoko and one of the Varia members brutally murders her. The torture that crossed Tsuna's mind earlier wasn't far from the mark, this a deep psychological torture.

Once more the boss candidate witnesses his loved one die before him at his teacher's hands, however this time something changes, a flame begins to appear around his body as his anger grows. In a showing of pure fury Tsuna drags his wrists through his constraints as the flame continues to build. All of the Varia members step away from Tsuna with wide faces, all except Xanxus who simply smiles at his choice of boss.

The flames gradually disappear from around Tsuna's body as his breath rate slows. Tsuna continues to calm himself down by holding his head in his hands and humming a tune from his childhood.

"What do you hope to accomplish, by making me angry" questions Tsuna as he continues to hold his head.

"You are an idiot" Xanxus insults Tsuna, "You depend on love and compassion for your strength, that's not nearly enough, you need to learn to drag power out of all your emotions, to facilitate that I'm putting you through this emotional pain".

Mammon begins to generate another image of Kyoko to continue Tsuna's training before Xanxus stops him. ' _What is he up to now'_ , thinks Tsuna.

"That won't be enough Mammon, move to plan B" commands Xanxus as Mammon begins to generate a new illusion, an illusion of Tsuna's mother.

"Don't push me too far Xanxus, I will kill you if you keep on going" threatens Tsuna.

Xanxus laughs as he kills Tsuna's mother before him, "I said I would acknowledge you as boss if you got through this and look at you, it's going perfectly".

 **CEDEF HQ, Italy**

On the top floor of CEDEF's headquarters one can see for miles, thousands of people, tens of thousands walk below each day on their commute to work. On a rainy day a colourful consortium of umbrellas is pleasing to the eye even from this height. This is not a rainy day however; it is a sunny day in this part of Italy. The 9th boss of the Vongola family smiles as he looks down from the window, excited to meet Bana, his second potential successor.

"So Basil, are you ready to take over" asks 9th of the young Italian.

"Yes 9th, I'm excited for the challenge" replies Iemitsu's apprentice.

Basil is a good friend of Sawada Tsunayoshi, he has stuck with him through thick and thin, something he hopes will continue after the upcoming ring contest. Basil has no quarrels with the newcomer Bana, he just isn't Sawada Tsunayoshi and that's a mark in the wrong box.

Everyone's head turns to the door as it opens to reveal a blonde spiky haired man. Everyone draws the same conclusion, this can only be Tsuna's competition, Vongola Bana.

"Oh, here he is" smiles the 9th.

"Yeah, you can see the resemblance" comments Iemitsu.

Bana bows upon entering the room, "I respectfully greet the 9th boss and 9th CEDEF leader" he politely declares.

Basil observes Bana from afar, ' _his power is similar, you can feel it, it's just like Tsuna's'_ , he thinks to himself. Then he decides to approach his potential boss and shakes his hand.

"Nice to meet you Bana, we may be working together in future" greets Basil.

"Oh the CEDEF successor, nice to meet you" replies Bana, "Is Tsuna not here?" he asks.

"We sent a message to Tsuna asking him to come but he seems to have disappeared" responds Basil, unaware of Tsuna's Varia training.

Iemitsu and Basil have prepared a nice table which the 9th and Bana sit at, this is where they will decide upon the ring contest with Tsuna, if he shows up. The door opens again and surprisingly the man who walks in is Xanxus. Not standing on ceremony Xanxus flops into Tsuna's chair and places his feet up on the table.

"I'm here to negotiate, on behalf of the trash" explains Xanxus.

Everyone in the room is surprised at Xanxus presence in this meeting but none more so than Vongola Bana. ' _Why'_ , he asks himself, ' _why is he here, was he not intimidated by my power, how can he dare to show his face'_.

"You… why should we believe you" Basil questions Xanxus.

"Huh, are you stupid" mocks Xanxus, "We are the two highest ranking people in the 10th generation behind the boss, shouldn't we trust each other".

"Besides, when I know Tsuna wouldn't harm me regardless, what do you think I have to gain by making Bana my enemy, you can trust me can't you" reasons the Varia leader.

A huge smile springs to the face of the 9th, Xanxus has said something that he has been waiting a long time to hear. ' _He acknowledged Tsuna as the boss, Xanxus is back on our side'_.

"The 10th says he is ready for the contest; can you say the same?" Xanxus questions Bana.

"Of course" Bana quickly answers.

"Same format as my battle against him, the Mafia resort" poses Xanxus.

"I look forward to the challenge" says Bana as he gets to his feet. "If you will excuse me, 9th generation, Basil, Xanxus".

"You're a frog at the bottom of a well" taunts the 9th's son. "The boss is going to show you… just how big the world really is".

"Maybe I'm a frog, I hope that my rival can enlighten me at the very least but I fear… I fear that it will be me showing him just how far the dying will flame can go" Bana states with confidence as he looks straight into Xanxus eyes.

Xanxus smiles, "The Varia will be seeing you again".

Bana opens the door, "Yeah" he mumbles as he walks out.

Xanxus turns to look at his father, "You always set these things up all officially, they never last long".

"Xanxus, you accepted Tsuna as your…" starts the 9th.

Xanxus interrupts him, "Sorry but I'm in a rush, the 10th needs training that only I can provide, I will be going now, if that's alright with you… 9th".

"Forgive me" 9th closes his eyes and enjoys the nostalgic feeling, "Of course it is, go do what you need to do Xanxus".


	10. Extreme Opponent

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – EXTREME OPPONENT**

 **A Boat, Just Arriving at the Mafia Resort**

It's approaching the evening, they are late. 9th insisted that Tsuna's group travel with CEDEF and himself on this boat. The Varia also join them on this voyage along with a few surprise guests, Enma for example has come along to watch the contest.

A lounge area has been set aside for the Vongola family, a space for them to socialise, Tsuna is of course the centre of attention, everyone believes he is going to be the next Vongola boss. The Varia do their best to keep away from conversation, past grudges have led to an awkwardness between them and their comrades. Tsuna does his best to encourage them to socialise but has little success, some things not even he can do.

Dino stands alone, smiling as he sees Tsuna interact with all his followers. Tsuna has always been like a brother to Dino, being trained by Reborn has brought them closer together than many siblings ever experience. Dino's prideful gaze is drawn from Tsuna though when he is approached by his subordinate Romario.

"We've arrived" Romario informs his boss.

"I've got it" Dino acknowledges, "Everyone, we're here, Colonello and Lal Mirch are waiting for us outside" he informs the people of the lounge.

Lead by Tsuna and the 9th, the various mafioso pour out of the lounge and head down to meet Colonello and Lal Mirch, two old friends who have been through many tribulations with them. As the smell of salt water fills Tsuna's nostrils he is reminded of the time he spent here with Yamamoto and Gokudera.

 _'How nostalgic, it seems so long ago now but back then I was just a kid'_ , he recalls, thinking back to when full grown mafia bosses bent neck to that teenage Vongola.

At the bottom of the ramp a man and a woman stand ready to greet the passengers. They look unusual together, one fully grown woman, not dis-similar to when Tsuna met her in the future and one 8-year-old carrying a gun almost the size of himself.

"9th, Tsuna, we're happy to have you back here again" welcomes Colonello.

"It's good to see you're doing well" greets Tsuna, happier than he expected to see his old friend.

"I've prepared the venues for the ring contests, I've been told to prepare for a more explosive contest this time" Colonello chuckles out.

"Vongola Bana has already arrived with his guardians, an odd lot, though they seemed to respect him deeply" observes Lal Mirch.

"Ryohei, it's been a long time since I trained you, I hope you're ready because you are up first" Colonello informs the sun guardian.

"YOSH, I've been training for this to the EXTREME" shouts Ryohei.

"Do a few laps of the island to warm up Ryohei then meet us at the venue" orders Reborn.

Colonello informs Ryohei about a forest full of foliage, where to see the sun must shine the most brightly. With the location of the match firmly memorised the boxing champion runs off to do his warm up.

Tsuna sweatdrops, "I hope he doesn't tire himself out".

"I don't think that guy would be tired if he ran for 7 days and 7 nights" reassures Gokudera.

"Similarly to the last ring conflict we have set up observation areas to prevent interference, they won't explode this time though" comments Colonello as he stares at Mammon out of the corner of his eye.

Mammon snickers, "Don't tell me you still hold a grudge, grudges won't turn into money".

"VOI, let's get this started already" moans Squalo loudly.

With that they begin the long walk across the island. On the walk they encounter, lions, tigers, bears and even a few penguins. Gokudera stares at a lion, correctly noting that this isn't the correct ecosystem to house the big cat. Soon though his thoughts are brought away from the subject as his sister appears before the animal, retriggering his recurring stomach bugs.

 **The Sun Venue, A forest on the Mafia Resort**

Tsuna and his guardians arrived late on the boat but they arrived at this venue first. The ever helpful Cervello repeatedly assuring 'Lord Xanxus' that they had informed Bana the match was ready to begin. Bana and his guardian were on their way to the field was the conclusion everyone drew. Having waited for the family reunion for many years, Ryohei was the most impatient person present.

"Where is my EXTREME OPPONENT?" he screams as if the volume will increase the pace.

"Now now… I'm sure Bana has his reasons" says the 9th, attempting to calm Ryohei down.

"Yeah, Bana seems like a trustworthy guy" comments Iemitsu.

 _'These guys have no idea, it's best to leave them in the dark for now',_ decides Xanxus. Telling the other Vongola members present may lead them into stopping the match, if that happened the Varia would be the first place Bana would vent his anger. Even if it wasn't, Xanxus is gradually becoming part of this family again, he has to do his best to protect them.

Bana jumps into the observation area from the bush behind it, yelling boo as he childishly declares his arrival.

"Sorry I'm late" he declares. A slight devious smile can then be seen on his face.

Xanxus frowns at Bana's arrival, where are his guardians, not even the sun guardian is here with him. This man is an incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous foe, if he is employing a trick or implement a trap, it would be very easy to go along with.

Tsuna observes Bana's emotions carefully, ' _is he being sporting by keeping them all away so that Dokuro doesn't have to oppose me here. No, that smile, it was barely visible but I saw it, this is part of his plan, what is your plan Vongola Bana'._

"Where is your sun guardian Bana, could it be he hasn't shown up" questions 9th with the innocence of a child.

Bana twists his body from the waist and swings his head from the neck, "not here yet, it must be because I snuck around".

Bana rushes out of the box and across the field, running past Ryohei as if he isn't there. The neutral members of the audience are all intrigued to see what is going on but the guardians and the Varia are all highly suspicious of Bana.

"Mammon, watch to see he doesn't use any illusions" instructs Xanxus.

"Roger" answers his illusionist.

"What's he up to boss" asks Lussuria.

"I don't know" answers Xanxus honestly, "But it can't be good".

Suddenly a few rustles can be seen in the bush which Bana ran past. A few yells of 'there you are' and 'you came so slowly' can be heard. Bana comically screams before he flies back first out of the bush and into the observation area.

Picking himself up and dusting himself off Bana notes, "Not in a good mood today" as he shakes his head at the spectators.

"However, my sun guardian has arrived" he smiles.

With that Bana's sun guardian emerges from the bush and it is as if a great monster has emerged. Not one person's face doesn't change at the appearance of this new guardian. Tsuna has the worst reaction of anyone as he falls to the floor holding his head and screaming.

"10th!" yells Gokudera as he runs to comfort his boss.

"TSUNA" both Yamamoto and Iemitsu shout as they do the same.

Even the usually calm and collected Xanxus stutters, "Mammon… is it… an illusion".

"It must be but… if it is I can't see through it" replies the illusionist as he focuses his gaze on the newcomer.

"Then… it's real" gasps Xanxus.

"That's right" Bana declares in grand fashion.

"Please let me introduce my sun guardian".

"Sasagawa… Kyoko"


	11. What a Sibling is

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – WHAT A SIBLING IS**

 **The Sun Match Venue, Mafia Island**

Although her initial appearance seemed to be identical there are certain differences about the Kyoko stood before her former friends. Kyoko was wearing fighting attire reminiscent of kickboxing equipment, her hair had gotten a bit darker and her physical fitness had obviously improved. The most noticeable difference about the Kyoko who stood before them though was the attitude, she no longer smiled that same way that she used to, she no longer has that youthful joy.

Kyoko sighs, "The Boss saved me a few years ago, after my kidnapping" she explains, "So I decided to train with him, to become his sun guardian, after all unlike you guys, he didn't abandon me". Nobody has an answer for that, silence falls on the sun match venue as everyone stares at Kyoko with disbelief. "Does that answer all your questions" she asks rhetorically.

The silence continued for a few seconds after that, eventually it was broken by the ever composed Cervello. "Match begin" she announced.

"What do you mean… does that answer all your questions" mutters Ryohei opposite his sister. He raises his head and his voice simultaneously, "OF COURSE IT DOESN'T… WHY DIDN'T YOU CONTACT US AT ALL", he asks.

"Excuse me but you made no rescue attempt nor made an attempt to contact me afterwards" retorts Kyoko.

"It wasn't like that" explains Kyoko's older brother, "Sawada contacted our people in the US, they confirmed to us that you were dead" he recalls. Ryohei recalls that day where he walked into the Sawada residence, into Tsuna's room. The day that Sawada Tsunayoshi, Gokudera Hayato and Sasagawa Ryohei, the day that they shared their greatest misery.

While he recalls these events, Kyoko dashes at Ryohei and appears in a fighting stance before him. "I don't care what excuses you have" the younger Sasagawa states emphatically. She throws fists at Ryohei, hitting him in the gut several times.

Ryohei falls to his knees holding his gut. A few of the more astute hand to hand fighters in the crowd realise the skill Kyoko just demonstrated, being able to hit so hard yet control the blows to keep your opponent close. Maintaining close proximity to an opponent when you have momentum means you have the upper hand in a fight, this is Kyoko's situation right now.

Ryohei looks up at his sister, as if expecting to see the young innocent girl again, he sees no such thing though, he sees a bare foot which quickly connects with his head. Kyoko put more power into this kick than her punches, it sends Ryohei skidding along the floor for a short distance.

The champion boxer doesn't skid far though, his sister appears in his path and stops his motion by slamming her foot down onto his chest. A kick like this from a trained kickboxer can seriously injure or even kill someone, when delivered by Kyoko it does a huge amount of damage to Ryohei.

Coughs, more and more violent as the seconds pass, the guardians all stare in disbelief at their struggling friend. From the second she started fighting, they all realised that Kyoko was strong but they didn't dare to imagine she could hurt him this much. This wasn't a fight, this was pure domination, a squash.

"Does this count as a down" Kyoko asks as she turns her head to a Cervello, "He doesn't appear to be doing very well". Despite the concern of all his friends, Ryohei's sister displays a cold attitude with this remark. Formerly Kyoko would cheer on the guardians in their fights, support them in their struggles and care for them in their sickness however right now, it was like she didn't care about them at all.

"Of course not, he is still quite capable of continuing" replies the Cervello, showing apathy in equal measure to that of Kyoko's.

"I see, then I have no choice" mumbles Kyoko as if she is planning something. She lifts her foot up gradually positioning it above Ryohei. Everyone is shocked when the true intent behind the move is clear though, Kyoko intends to kick Ryohei in the head.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING" yells Yamamoto, "IN HIS STATE THAT IS GOING TO KILL HIM". Byakuran floats nearby in his ethereal form, observing the actions of his host and of Kyoko, despite what Bana did to him, he can't believe something like this is happening here.

"What is up with you" asks Gokudera as he leans in close to Bana, "Stop your guardian, she is going to kill him".

"Kyoko, please stop" says Bana unenthusiastically.

"Sorry boss, some of my actions are for me and not for you" replies Kyoko without a single change in her facial expression. Her gaze which momentarily focused on her boss returns to her brother.

Xanxus observes as this situation transpires, ' _that was clearly rehearsed, he wants her to do it, what am I thinking, I have to do something, otherwise that guy is going to die'._ Xanxus realising that Tsuna is out of action reaches for his guns. In the absence of the boss, it is his job to protect the family, he realises as he reaches for his guns though, ' _I'm not going to make it in time'_.

Kyoko moves her foot down towards Ryohei, everyone who trusted that Kyoko wouldn't do it, or that Bana would stop her now finally realises, they don't have time to react, nobody could react that quickly, Ryohei was going to die. They thought that nobody could react that quickly anyway, even Tsuna would need to power up, but one person did react that quickly, such is confirmed when a bullet flies straight past Kyoko's head.

The narrow miss was obviously deliberate, nobody here is so quick with such bad aim, Kyoko stops her foot, knowing that someone is a trigger pull away from killing her, she looks into the crowd of people, searching for the only person who could have reacted that quickly, the hitman tutor, Reborn.

"Don't get me wrong Kyoko, I'm glad you're alive" says Reborn. "However, you are far from big enough to make me back down when my student is being bullied, I will always stop you". Tsuna is finally able to recover his focus enough to determine what has been going on, he looks over at Reborn, attempting to thank him though his voice gives out. Reborn looks at Tsuna long and hard. The relationship has changed, before Reborn insisted on Tsuna's self-reliance, a means of educating the young boss. Since then things have changed, Reborn no longer sees his student when he looks at Tsuna, he sees his boss.

"Very well" Kyoko acknowledges Reborn's statement as she walks off. "I'm sure there are no arguments that I win this match".

There are another few moments of silence as everyone regains their composure, Yamamoto and Gokudera head over to look at Ryohei. Shamal joins them and enlists their help in taking Ryohei to a nearby medical facility. Tsuna sits up having regained his breath and his voice, the mental stress, the psychological torment, the emotional beating he suffered upon seeing Kyoko was perhaps even greater than Ryohei's.

"I'm sorry Sawada, my guardian went a bit overboard, I hope you can forgive me" Bana offers Tsuna an apology. The tactic of bringing Kyoko to this fight, seemingly as a psychological weapon, with such a sincere apology it seems as though Bana is truly unaware of how underhanded this is. This trait brings him the admiration of the 9th, Iemitsu, Basil and Enma, yet the distain of the Varia.

"It's fine, why is she alive… that day, the American branch definitely told me they had seen her body" says Tsuna, still unable to wrap his head around why these events have unfolded.

"I don't know what information was given to you, I went to the scene, it was obvious she had been kidnapped, seeing as I saved her and you gave up. Well I guess she is just angry at you, that is all" Bana consoles. A worthless consolation as Tsuna stares at his heavily injured friend being carried away.

Yamamoto is carrying Ryohei away when he hears the familiar voice of Byakuran in his head. " _This is only day one"_ says the ghost. The worst, is yet to come.

 **That night, the medical facility**

It's a starry night, everyone has gone to sleep in preparation for the next day. Bana and his guardians pose a real threat to the current crop, being ready for anything is necessary, so they rest, all except for Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna shouldn't have to fight tomorrow but even if he does his conscience compels him to pay a visit to his sun guardian.

"Are you OK" he asks his injured comrade. Tsuna sits down on a simple chair next to the bed that Ryohei has been placed on, these conditions are less than ideal for medical treatment but Ryohei is strong and Shamal is an expert.

"Shamal said I should…" Ryohei starts before being interrupted.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about" says Tsuna, "She is the reason I think of you as an elder brother". Tsuna thinks back to the days of running around in dying will mode, they were all just kids back then, he used to refer to Ryohei as big brother.

"You've never said that" Ryohei smiles as he sits up slightly.

 _'I've said that loads of times'_ , the young Sawada thinks as he slumps slightly in his chair. "Well I do, you're so hard working and determined, you're a role model for me even now" flatters Tsuna.

"Thanks Sawada, that means a lot… and as for if I'm OK, yeah I am" explains Ryohei, "I won't let this person taint the memories I have of Kyoko because right now she isn't Kyoko wouldn't you agree".

"That's right, you've looked after her for so long, helped her live a happy life, I know she was incredibly grateful for that, until she remembers that she's not the same Kyoko" agrees Tsuna. "Have no fear though, I'm going to bring back the old Kyoko, definitely".

Ryohei remains silent for a few seconds, smiling in reflection of his faith in Tsuna, ' _if Sawada makes that promise it will definitely come to pass'._ Ryohei suddenly extends his hand to Tsuna as if prompting him to shake it.

"Huh…" Tsuna stutters dumbly.

"If you meant what you said then shake my hand, become my sworn brother" requests Ryohei as he looks his friend in the eye.

Tsuna begins moving his hand towards Ryohei's but then stops. "Before I do this, I have to ask you something" he says much to Ryohei's sudden surprise. "Were you truly OK… with Chrome and I…".

"Of course I am" Ryohei quickly interrupts. "You're going to bring her back and become Vongola boss right" he reminds his junior. "Remember, our brotherly respect for each other is mutual, I feel it's my job to look after you too".

"Big brother…" Tsuna mumbles with a smile.

"I'm the sun, I will burn brightly and show you the right path, Chrome is the next thing in your path" Ryohei reassures his boss.

"Thanks… brother" acknowledges Tsuna. "In that case, I will become your sworn brother" he agrees as he takes Ryohei's hand.

"From now on I'll treat you as my own brother, I'll share your pain, your suffering, your happiness and your joy in this world" the boxing champion elaborates. "Because for me… that's what a sibling is".


	12. Thunderous

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – THUNDEROUS**

 **The Thunder Guardian Battlefield, A Desert on the island**

With the exception of Ryohei and Kyoko the same people were attending this battle. Bana maintained his friendly disposition, as if giving an interview or applying for a job. The prospect of him being boss didn't seem too bad to those who were unaware, unaware of his sins. His golden hair matched the colour of the sand as it exhibited small motion in the occasional breeze.

While Bana kept his regular clothes, dressing as his 'father' Vongola Primo had, the others all adorned stripped down versions of their regular attire. The blazing sun reflected off every surface in a way that illuminated it perfectly. As Byakuran described to Yamamoto, _"It's good weather to get a tan"._

Tsuna watched as the two fighters before him observed each other. His little brother Lambo had grown so much in these last few years, who knew how strong he truly was now. It must be understood that a few years ago when the guardians were first brought together, Tsuna and his school friends were all young adults, getting towards the end of their adolescence. Namely those at Namimori school had their development slow down the longer time went on, however Lambo was only a child back then, he had yet and has still yet to reach the peak of his learning curve. Among them Tsuna could be described as the strongest but Lambo was definitely the one with the most freakish talent.

Lambo's opponent didn't hold the same reverence for his opponent, it was easy to misjudge a child. He was however respectful towards him, after all no matter how young he was, there had to be a reason this kid in the cow skin was the lightning guardian. This man was named Tokata, a tall man with short black hair and a goatee. Tokata had a strange choice of fighting clothing, a buttoned shirt and some smart trousers, he wouldn't have looked out of place in Gokudera's engineering company.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tokata, let's have a fun match little boy" offers Tokata, as if to teach Lambo that honest and fair play are integral parts of fighting. Educating Lambo however is no easy task, the boy has a tendency to be impertinent.

"Don't call Lambo little, I'm 7 years old" yells the obnoxious child. People often talk to Lambo like a child only to receive an incredibly rude reply such as this one. Gokudera got into the habit years ago of referring to Lambo as 'stupid cow', a moniker which he justified with this previous statement.

"That stupid cow… he actually got his age wrong" Gokudera explains as he sweatdrops.

Tsuna joins him in the gesture, "At least he was only one year out" he says in an attempt to improve Lambo's status in the eyes of everyone else.

While others would react violently or loudly to Lambo's rude behaviour, Tokata forcefully restrains himself, wanting to cast a good impression on behalf of his boss and fellow guardians. His expression changes from surprise to a wry smile, "My humble apologies… please allow me to use my full strength", he requests before pulling out a small metallic knife.

The knife appears unremarkable, if anything it exhibits a poor level of craftsmanship, however it is still a very dangerous weapon. The reason for this choice of weapon relates to Bana's choice of Tokata as his lightning guardian. Tokata electrocutes the knife, anything hit by this will inevitably suffer great damage.

Xanxus turns to Levi to enquire about the power of the knife, "Levi, you're our expert, just how strong is that guys power of electricity", he asks.

Levi is the foremost expert on electrical attacks at this gathering. Although Lambo has more absolute power, Levi has years' worth of expert as an assassin, a wielder of this power. "I would say that it is so strong that not even the electrico cuio can withstand it" he offers this calm analysis. This is a surprise to everyone present, someone with enough power to harm Lambo with electricity, such a person is exceedingly rare, a genius.

As everyone gazed at Tokata in awe, the silence was only broken when the man himself curved his arm for an overhand throw. Tokata launched his electrocuted knife at Lambo with great velocity, a speed which no ordinary man could hope to avoid. Lambo is a boy and is hence yet to become a man, he is also far from ordinary.

Using his great speed and rate of perception, Lambo twisted slightly to the side, giving him a good view of both Tokata and the passing knife. The knife passes by and Lambo calmly observing the situation with a battle intelligence unrivalled by those his own age. Right then something Lambo didn't think possible happened.

As the knife continued to pass Lambo he lost sight of Tokata for a moment, in that moment Tokata appeared directly in front of Lambo, his hand wielding the knife as if he had an hour to get the perfect grip. Those with vision permitting them to follow the battle started, surprised that someone could move so quickly, so precisely but Tokata didn't wait for their shock to subside, he immediately went for the kill.

Tokata sliced his knife down vertically with the same distinct curving motion that he first threw it, cutting Lambo with clinical precision. The cut is thin and clearly superficial, a result of Lambo's reaction to Tokata's attack. Lambo is a guardian recognised for possessing immense speed, yet not even he could completely dodge the attack.

The young thunder guardian leaps backwards, "Lambo is confused" he dumbly states, "Can you really move faster than Lambo".

Tokata maintains his fighting posture but extends a polite explanation to Lambo, "That's right, I am able to travel as fast as lightning, that's near instant movement" he explains with a confident smile on his face.

Enma watches the fight with an inquisitive look on his face, not quite confident enough to believe himself he turns to the CEDEF successor Basil. "Basil, do you see what I see" he asks so as to confirm his suspicions.

"Yeah, his movement wasn't lightning quick, it was instant" explains the Italian mafioso.

"You noticed too" smiles Tsuna. The other two were not confident in their ability to perceive attacks at high speed but Tsuna is completely confident, he has best high speed perception in the Vongola family and he couldn't track Tokata's movements. Naturally this means that Tokata is either faster than him, or he is using some form of teleportation.

Bana's gaze never leaves the battle as he joins the conversation, "You are all correct, Tokata is merely bluffing to confuse Lambo" he confirms. "He is using the weakness every child has, gullibility, it's quite cunning really".

"My little brother is no ordinary child" retorts Tsuna. The leader of the current 10th generation does have full confidence in his thunder guardian, that's the sort of family he has always insisted on maintaining, one that believes in each other. Although they may argue and fight it's a philosophy that all the guardians adopt, they have never doubted their comrades' victories and they will not start doubting here.

Despite a showing of support from his brother, Lambo is not doing well. His injuries continue to worsen as Tokata uses teleportation to dance around him, slicing him in more and more painful locations every time he re-materialises.

Tokata has a hint of resentment appear in his eyes, something so small that nobody on the battlefield notices it. _What is this_ he questions. ' _The boss gave me a chance to work hard, to obtain strength and use it against mighty opponents but is this it… is this it'._

 **Osaka, 1 Year Ago**

It was another rainy day in Osaka, rainy didn't begin to explain how bad the weather was. Pluviophiles were dotted about the usually busy streets, the few who dared to venture into the storm smile and laugh as they gaze around to experience the rare openness of the city. These people however all spend their time walking the main streets, nobody would want to go into a dark and damp alley on a day like this but that is exactly what one man did.

The man is dressed casually, in a short sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans, clothes completely unbefitting of the weather. This man wears these clothes out of habit though, he has stood in this same spot wearing these same clothes at the same time every day for the past three years. Every day he turns up, rain or shine, weekday or weekend, even on holidays and he proceeds to repeat the same process. He throws knives at a target.

This man is Tokata, someone who would eventually became very influential in the mafia world but right now he is just a man, someone who can throw knives very accurately. Once more he throws a knife at the target, hitting the centre perfectly, he does this again, and again, and again, he repeats this for two hours.

Tokata throws the knife with all his might until one attempt where everything changes, for three years he promised himself he would never get frustrated but on that day something snapped, he just fell to his knees and screamed.

"What are you getting frustrated about, you hit perfectly every time, that's a bullseye" claims Bana as he walks out from a nearby shadow, encountering his future thunder guardian for the first time.

"It's not the accuracy" explains Tokata, "The accuracy is not what bothers me, no, it's the power. That knife thrown so accurately is enough to defeat any normal person true, however beyond a point the accuracy becomes redundant, she will die if I hit her in the left eye just as much as she will if I hit her in the right eye. There are exceptional people in this world though, I could hit them with that knife a million times and not defeat them. I need more power" he finishes.

Bana smiles as he looks at the kneeling Tokata. "I understand exactly what you mean, there are people in this world who have reached seemingly unclimbable heights". Bana lights up a dying will flame in one hand as a demonstration to Tokata, "If you want I can help you bridge the gap, I can remove your limits" he offers.

That was the day Tokata's life changed, after years of not being able to break through his limits, after meeting Bana everything changed in one day. Tokata had an unremarkable life until then, doing normal things with normal people and suffering from the boredom that comes with it, Bana was his saviour. A man had swooped down into the pits of hell and had chosen him, he was the one to be brought back into heaven.

 **The Thunder Battle, The Present Day**

Lambo finally falls to the ground, a consequence of the continuous strikes dealt to him by his opponent. This turn in the battle irritates Tokata, someone who had strived for years to remove his limits and battle people of a higher level. Now that his limits had finally been surpassed this boy was offering him no challenge at all, the ultimate insult.

"IS THIS ALL THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE" shouts Tokata, finally losing all patience he had with Lambo. "If this is all the strength you can muster, how do you hope to leave here… HOW DO YOU HOPE TO LEAVE HERE WITH YOUR FRIENDS".

"Leave here… with my friends" Lambo muttered as he vacantly stared at the floor.

A small smile adorned the face of Gokudera as he realised the change Lambo was about to undergo. When he fights Lambo enhances his speed by creating an aura of lightning around himself, usually this lightning is green but suddenly it changed from green to blue. Lambo rose to his feet with a new look of determination in his eyes as he stared down Tokata.

Tokata started as he observed the change in seriousness from his younger counterpart, "What the hell… what is this". Deciding not to wait and find out Tokata once more threw his knife towards Lambo at full speed. Waiting until the knife was within a suitable range of Lambo, Tokata makes the decision to teleport.

His moment of teleportation never arrives though, for Lambo met the knife half way on its path towards him and knocked it away with his hand.

"His movement" Tokata begins, "It's actually faster than my reactions". Indeed, Lambo had closed the distance from himself to the knife even quicker than Tokata had made the decision to teleport.

"Then I have only one option". Bana's thunder guardian reaches into his pockets and pulls out a whole collection of knives which he throws in Lambo's direction.

Once again it is an easy feat for Lambo to avoid each and every one of these knives, Tokata however made that part of his strategy. As the cow dodges all of the knives he will use their new teleportation locations to appear behind him and attack.

 _'Your wide open'_ Tokata yells in his mind as he appears behind Lambo and uses his trademark swing to target the younger Sawada brother.

Tsuna was correct about his sibling though, there is no way that Lambo would lose to something like that. Utilising his new found speed, Lambo turns and punches Tokata in the chest with his full power, launching his opponent across the battlefield where he stops just short of his boss, Vongola Bana.

Tokata raises his head to look at his boss, "He was so fast boss… winning was… impossible". With his apology to his superior, Tokata lost consciousness, rendering Lambo the winner of the thunder match. The score is now one -one.

"I don't know how he beat instant movement but it was really cool" smiles Basil, gleeful that the guardians he has previously worked with have got their first victory over the newcomers.

Gokudera explains Lambo's new found speed, "The stupid cow has been training with me, running away from my attacks". He continues, "When you are fighting an opponent who can cause an explosion nearly anywhere at any time the one thing you require is speed. Thanks to that he created the blue lightning form, it increases his power and speed at a very small cost".

Tsuna's smile turns into an expression of concern, "Cost… what's the cost" he asks.

Gokudera who was previously giving a serious explanation adopts an embarrassed appearance, "He falls asleep immediately after using it". As the storm guardian explains Lambo falls onto the ground fast asleep following his victory, something that causes everyone to cry out in shock.

"How funny" Yamamoto laughs with his usual smile.

" _Yeah"_ agrees Byakuran who has been watching with Yamamoto all along.

Iemitsu is naturally very pleased with his son's victory. "Well that is why I picked him as thunder guardian" he justifies, "Not only his body but his talent is something that is simply unmeasurable".

"I agree" begins the 9th, "Make sure you continue to raise your adopted son well" he implores the 9th, recognising the potential of one of his successors to the Vongola throne.

"You're the last person to be giving that advice" Xanxus laughs recalling the problems he and the 9th have had in the past.

"Don't worry boss, I will make sure he understands how proud I am later" consoles the leader of CEDEF.

With that the competition ended, the first victory for Tsuna's team had come from his younger brother. At this very moment everyone believed that one day, Lambo may even surpass Tsuna himself, the potential they had witnessed from a child, it was simply bottomless.


	13. I had to Tell Them

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – I HAD TO TELL THEM**

 **On the Storm Battle Grounds**

The storm battleground was situated at the top of a mountain; the wind here was fast enough to send any weak individual flying off the cliff's below. However, nobody gathered here was weak, they were all prepared for a battle full of danger and guts. This battle would also inevitably contain a huge range of emotions for Gokudera Hayato because of who his opponent was. It was as a few had suspected.

"I had a feeling it would be you I would be fighting… Haru" said Gokudera with a pained expression on his face. It was three years ago now that he last heard from his girlfriend before she had 'died' in the USA. "You're really alive".

"Just like Tsuna and Ryohei, you made no effort to find me following my death" Haru coldly criticises Gokudera. The same story provided by Kyoko, the two of them are holding a grudge that many thought uncharacteristic for them.

Gokudera tries his best to calm her though, "It's not like that, we had our agents in America go to you as soon as possible" he explains. "They told us they had seen your dead bodies, we even brought them back for a burial".

Haru stands motionless, no changes in her facial expression as she watches Gokudera pour his heart out, "I won't fall for any such lies Hayato".

Gokudera had suspected that Haru would be his opponent and had done his best to mentally prepare himself, even having suspected this attitude from his former girlfriend he still couldn't prevent tears forming in his eyes. "I had to sit there and tell your parents… I had to tell them that I wasn't good enough to protect their daughter" he sobs.

"I said that lying wouldn't cut any ice with me" repeats Haru as she raises her open palm into the air. Suddenly a huge heavy sword appeared within her hands, the sword is the focus of everyone's gaze, it's domineering enough to force many to their knees. Gokudera Hayato however, is not such a person.

Haru suddenly swings the sword downwards as if to strike the empty space before her, light gathers on the edge of her sword though and is thrown by the motion of the blade, this sword light travels at full speed towards Gokudera.

Gokudera counters the attack, launching several of his newly created bombs to slow the sword light. Four explosions happen, one of red wind, one of green lightning, one of blue rain and one of deep purple clouds. This is an incredible attack, perhaps the strongest power that a storm guardian has ever demonstrated but it's not enough.

The sword light emerges from the explosions and travels straight at an unsuspecting Gokudera. Gokudera leaps to the side at the last moment, "Damn, what the hell was that attack" he questions.

Haru doesn't give her opponent time to gather his thoughts, she swings her sword again and again sending many streaks in the engineer's direction.

This series of attacks forces another dodge from Gokudera, he flips sideways and when his posture is perfectly opposite to his average standing position he fires his own counterattack. Only one bomb is needed for his desired attack, as the sun bomb nears on Haru his thinking becomes clear. ' _There is no way that she can dodge with that heavy sword, this is going to_ _hit'_ he speculates.

Beyond the expectations of everyone present, with the exception of a grinning Bana, Haru leaps away with no more movement than a normal person would require to do so. The sword Haru is wielding would slow down anybody else enormously, however the challenging storm candidate treats the weapon as if it is weightless.

"What…" starts Gokudera, he himself is a storm attribute user, otherwise he wouldn't be competing against Haru but he is confused by her strength. The storm attribute isn't ideal for amassing great strength, that can only mean that Haru has obtained this strength through pure training. To have reached such a high level in the sword and in an element is something that only Yamamoto has accomplished here, Haru is clearly a freakishly talented fighter.

The 9th however is quite cheery in spite of Gokudera's difficult challenge, "She's impressive that girl and she truly represents the storm" he explains. He along with everyone else remembers Haru's over the top attitude from when the guardians were kids. "She can move so fast with that sword; she would truly be a worthy guardian".

"They've had a busy three years have the trash" Xanxus notes.

"I'll say" agrees Enma, another of those present who doesn't realise the importance of this competition between Bana and Tsuna.

"I understand now, you're stronger than me" begins Gokudera, "Your abilities make you a more suitable guardian and even your storm resembles a storm more than mine" explains Gokudera to the dismay of his supporters who have gathered.

"Gokudera don't say that" pleads Tsuna. Of all the people who have followed Tsuna since he became the 10th Vongola boss, Gokudera had undoubtedly been the most loyal, it would be a severe mental blow if his right hand man were to give up.

"But I am much more suitable to being a Vongola than you" Gokudera smiles. That statement may have been less valid before Sawada Tsunayoshi came along but now it is true, being a Vongola has become less about strength and domination over the mafia world. Now the word Vongola is synonymous with the fun loving attitude that the 10th generation has helped to bring about.

"If this fight is all about power" begins white haired boy, "Let's just skip straight to the main event" he suggests as he fixes a new bomb launcher to his arm. The launcher is not dis-similar to the one who used with system CAI however this one has been optimised to launch his new style of bombs.

Haru cracks a small smile that hardly anybody notices, "You who are so weak hope to overcome my power with a single attack?". Haru raises her sword above her head as effortlessly as ever before but something changes. Formerly the sword light materialised on her sword mid-swing but right now sword light has begun to gather on it while it is stationary. The sword that was so domineering before now looks more intimidating than ever, ready and waiting to settle a grudge between the former lovers.

Gokudera isn't fazed however, he gathers storm energy into his own launcher causing it to light up red. Storm energy is naturally the strongest for Gokudera as he can reinforce it with his own storm element, this is clearly a clash of each fighter's strongest attack.

"Shall we test which one of us is truly stronger" asks Gokudera as he fires his attack towards Haru.

Haru shows no hesitation in returning the attack, she swings her sword downwards even quicker than she has done before, it's full weight denting the floor upon impact.

As the two combatant's attacks collide in the middle a huge red explosion causes everyone around to shield their eyes. The power contained within this blast is something that has not been seen in a very long time, not since the battle of the rainbow. While some people are focused on shielding their eyes and protecting themselves from any damage, Tsuna and Bana are eager to remove their hands from their faces and feast their eyes on the victor. When the two are able to see the victor it is Bana who wears a smile on his face.

Haru had won.

"Gokudera… lost" stammers Doctor Shamal, his former mentor.

"HAYATO" Bianci screams, eager to tend to her younger brother when the fight is over.

The fight was over in everyone's minds, except one person. Haru seemingly undamaged by the storm attribute collision raised her arm once more, gathering sword light on the edge of her blade for a second successive time.

Everyone winces and Colonello cries out "Is she actually going to do it again".

Haru didn't get the chance to attack a second time however, the 9th appeared at her side and grabbed her by the wrist. "Come now, this is not the place to be settling personal grudges" he reasoned, "Wouldn't you agree Haru?".

"Yes 9th" Haru obediently agrees, "I will be replacing him soon anyway, I'm sure that will settle my personal grudge". With that Haru slowly walks off back towards her team's camp, as if she was completely oblivious to the injuries she had dealt to Gokudera. She was the victor after all.

Tsuna runs over to Gokudera after a suitable distance appeared between his friend and Haru. "Are you alright?" he questions, concerned for his most faithful guardian. What surprised him though was that Gokudera didn't look as if he was hurt, he just looked sad, incomparably sad.

"Sorry, I lost my nerve, I couldn't muster up the will to go all out against her… at least not yet" he explains to his boss.

Before Tsuna gets the chance to reply his eventual opponent walked over and apologised to Gokudera. "Gokudera, I'm afraid my actions so far have made this fight more personal than it should have been, my sincerest apologies for that".

Bana walks over to face the other guardians on Tsuna's team before bowing, "I promise that neither my rain nor my cloud guardian should cause you any hesitation when fighting them" he assures his opponents.

The 9th approaches Bana and places a hand on his shoulder, "thank you Bana, you really do have the 1st's sense of fair play" he smiles. This situation is dream-like for the 9th, regardless of who wins, he will have been successful in passing the role over to a charismatic, good natured and most importantly strong successor.

Xanxus however is not so naïve as his father, _the old man sure is an_ _idiot_ he thinks to himself _, 'however that guy has all of these people fooled and now we are depending on the other two to win'_. Xanxus realises what a bad situation his boss is in now, the score is 2-1, 3-1 if you count the pre-determined mist match. One more loss and it's over.


	14. The Biggest Improvement

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT**

 **The Restaurant for the Competition**

The restaurant was very minimalist in its design, traditional wooden tables with white coverings and polished cutlery. The walls had all been replaced by windows to give an all-around view of the magically diverse island, everyone was enjoying themselves with their food and discussing the events of the competition to this point.

Three people however, were not sharing everyone's enjoyment, the trio of Tsuna, Yamamoto and Lambo were sat together, eating their food at a noticeably slower pace than those around them.

"Only you two left to talk to, they have gone too far" Tsuna complains as he subconsciously squeezes the fork in his hand. So far this competition has resulted in injuries to Ryohei, his sworn brother and Gokudera, his most loyal follower. Naturally Hibari didn't want to eat together with the rest so that left only Yamamoto and his younger brother Lambo.

"Yeah, meals like this with all the family gathered should be fun" agrees Yamamoto. Yamamoto has always been as a rain guardian should be, he has been the glue that sticks the family together, his calm and easy going attitude helps generate conversation at times like this, even he though is feeling down after witnessing two people he cares about injured by their loved ones.

Lambo adds his piece of less profound conversation, "Lambo is depressed" he dumbly whinges. He has also been affected by this situation, Kyoko and Haru used to play with him when he was a kid, viewing them as enemies were a big emotional challenge for one so young. Furthermore, the subject of Lambo's talk at these meetings was usually his dislike for Gokudera, something that was rendered impossible by the lack of attendance by the storm guardian.

"Yamamoto, I never found anyone to train you". Tsuna looks apologetically towards his friend, "if you lose I will take full…" he begins only to be interrupted by a giggle from Yamamoto.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood for losing" Yamamoto smiles. Tsuna may not have found anyone to train him but he had his secret trainer for that, Byakuran. Byakuran fought Tsuna when the guardians travelled into the future, the Millefiore family leader could claim to be one of the toughest opponents that the young Vongola had ever faced.

" _You won't lose Yamamoto"_ Byakuran encourages his host, _"go ahead and tell them, just how far you've come"_ he instructs.

"I can honestly say, the person has increased their strength the most for their match, is me" he boldly claims. Usually before a fight a professional fighter would make this sort of bold claim as a psychological attack on the enemy, or perhaps to reassure themselves of their own power. The Vongola family know that Yamamoto is not this sort of person, if he makes such a claim, it must mean that Yamamoto has improved his strength massively.

"I believe you, I really believe you Yamamoto" Tsuna excitedly smiles as his fears about Yamamoto being unprepared are allayed.

"Lambo wants to see Yamamoto be really strong" says the thunder guardian, "Better beat your opponent good Yamamoto" demands the cow print wearing youngster.

Lambo's childish speech habits are as always greatly amusing to the rain guardian. "Don't you worry Lambo; I've got this" he confirms with a small laugh.

 **The Rain Battlefield**

The battlefield this time was again a mountain, however Colonello had put thought into this venue. The other side of the mountain was not snowy and craggy, it was flat, it was steep and it was completely covered in forest. These trees had been planted several years ago as part of the project to make this island quite so strangely diverse.

Appropriately rain was falling, everyone resorting to the use of a coat or an umbrella, except Yamamoto and the man who stood opposite him. The man had short blue hair and a face that seemed to default to a smile much like Yamamoto's. The clothing of each man stuck to the wearers body, in Yamamoto's case a casual combination of a hoodie and some jeans, in the other man's case it was a long traditional black robe.

Yamamoto postulates about the man before him. ' _He seems quite friendly, I wonder where those funny clothes come from though, perhaps his old school'_. That assumption was correct, this man had come from an unusual background, high in the Himalayan mountains.

 **In the Himalayas, Two Years Ago**

It was another cold day in the school. Everyone wore the same long black robe, this black robe was very thin and offered no protection against the freezing cold weather. Nobody complained however, not a single person was shivering, except one. A young man with blue hair called Sorata.

Today was a silent day, if you made a sound today you were to be punished. This meant you had to be careful even when breathing, it required absolute concentration. Nobody wore shoes, their robes were specially chosen for this purpose and they all had short hair so even that motion wouldn't generate sound.

Walking through the corridors of the school, carrying his books from the library to his study chamber Sorata was less accomplished than the average student, far less accomplished. As he chattered his teeth at various moments, elders and students alike would slap Sorata around the head until he stopped. This may seem like a disgusting act, unforgiveable even but Sorata had nothing but gratitude in his heart, everyone here had lost something and never wanted to go through that again.

Never losing something again, that was a hard task, the first step was to give up all worldly possessions, never becoming attached means you can't lose a connection. The second step was to come up the mountain to the school where you would begin your martial arts training. Everyone had a talent for some form of combat, Sorata's talent was in the use of a staff, a weapon he had heavily modified and had come to master. This martial arts training was necessary to protect those you cared about while you tried to accomplish the third step.

The third step was the most difficult step but it would guarantee that you wouldn't feel the pain of loss anymore. The third step was severing the connection to those around you, something incredibly difficult. Sorata himself struggled most with this step, not because of his physical limitations but his emotional limitations. He first climbed the mountain when he lost his last family member, his father to a terrorist attack. Never had Sorata experienced such pain, that's why he climbed, he never wanted to experience it again.

Sorata had become strong with the help of everyone in this school, he felt very grateful to them all and he knew they were trying to help him with the third step. Knowing that they are helping him was wat damaged him though, his gratitude was incompatible with the separation he desired.

Sorata eventually got back into his study chamber, he quietly put his books down and sharply turned on his heel to see somebody leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room. A person he would later come to know as Vongola Bana.

"I'm surprised you were able to hear me, impressive" compliments Bana of his newly met acquaintance. Bana smiles at Sorata for a short while, waiting for a question or for him to be removed from the room forcibly.

Bana suddenly recalls where he is, "Oh sorry, you can't talk right, then I will do all the talking". "I have spoken with your elders, what you are trying to achieve right now is impossible for you" he explains.

Sorata gasps upon discovering that his elders doubted him, only to immediately cover his mouth to prevent any more noises coming out. He looks at Bana as if pleading him not to say any more, Bana doesn't notice though.

"Avoiding the loss of your loved ones is very difficult using strength alone, unless you find true power, that's the way forward for you, your elders agree" exposes Bana as he extends his hand towards Sorata. "Sorata, let people back into your heart, become my friend and we can find the meaning of true strength together" he suggests.

 **The Rain Battlefield, The Present Day**

Yamamoto continued to smile at his counterpart, "You seem quite calm" he notes.

"I am calm, very calm" confirms Sorata, "I don't suppose you could forfeit the match, it would save everyone a lot of trouble" suggests the challenger to the rain guardian. One thing he learned from his time at the school was that avoiding combat means avoiding loss.

"I could say the same thing to you" retorts Yamamoto, not willing to let Tsuna down by forfeiting. To give up now would truly be spitting in the face of Ryohei and Gokudera.

"Hmm, I thought so" comments Sorata as he quickly pulls a staff from its holder on his back. Immediately upon drawing his weapon, Sorata calls on the modifications he has made to his staff, he extends it with great speed, straight towards Yamamoto.

With a reaction so quick that few present could see it, Yamamoto draws his sword and dodges to the side of the extending staff. The extension speed was quick but the retraction speed is well within Yamamoto's capabilities to attack the weapon. Yamamoto swings his sword at the staff with enough power to shatter most rocks, the staff however merely moves away post-impact.

Sorata retracts the staff until it is a size easy for him to control. "You have good reactions" he compliments his opponent.

"And I'm surprised your staff didn't break" returns the baseball hopeful. His mood to talk didn't last long though, a few moments later he brought out all three of his swords and made a suggestion, "let's do this properly shall we". Yamamoto threw two of his swords in a curving motion, they bended like a boomerang and their destination was Sorata.

Before the swords could reach Sorata, Yamamoto began his run towards his opponent, he watched as Sorata blocked the first of the two swords. The second made contact though, knocking Sorata off balance as he tripped backwards.

Yamamoto leaped into the air as Sorata stumbled and looked at his falling opponent before throwing his third and final sword straight at him.

Sorata's reaction was swift and was an indication that the fight had reached another level, injecting dying will flame into his staff he knocked the final sword away from him, protecting himself from the potential killing blow.

Yamamoto maintained a cool appearance as he landed and caught all three swords as they curved through the air. Byakuran was unimpressed with what he had seen from Yamamoto so far, _"Don't probe pointlessly, you know you won't be able to beat him unless you power up"_ instructs the Millefiore leader.

"I know it's just that Gokudera gets quite defensive about being on my level" defends Yamamoto, "And what I am about to do, it's going to put me on a whole new level" he reminds his teacher.

Byakuran though stresses that this hesitation will be Yamamoto's downfall, _"It's time Yamamoto"_ he insists with the sternest expression he can put on. Byakuran then floats around to behind Yamamoto and places his hands on his shoulders.

Yamamoto took a deep breath when his mentor did that, "You're right" he admits. With that Yamamoto released two of his swords only for them to float in the air either side of him. Suddenly the two swords seemed to change into rain attribute flames. The swords gradually fell apart, the energy travelling from the tip to Yamamoto's back. The energy flowed towards Yamamoto, until the very end of the swords hilt had disappeared and flowed to its master.

Bana lost his cool manner and yelled in surprise, "What's this, his dying will flame is fundamentally changing".

Yamamoto concentrates his gaze on Sorata causing the challenger to feel a moment of intimidation. This very same moment he takes a step backwards; the single step was taken out of hesitation before Sorata concentrated himself. "This won't compare to my staff techniques" he boldly claims as a psychological assault on Yamamoto.

The flames that travelled to Yamamoto earlier begin to take shape, two long blue coloured wings form on his back and his remaining sword grows in size and in power. "This is my full power" explains Yamamoto as his transformation into his final form is completed.

"Yamamoto looks really familiar" says Lambo as he scratches his head, searching his brain for where he had seen this form before.

"Yeah" agrees his older brother, "this form belonged to Byakuran, he used it against me". The form doesn't hold many happy memories for the Vongola guardians but now that Byakuran is dead it serves as a reminder, a reminder of why they absolutely must win this contest.

Sorata panics and extends his flame clad staff towards Yamamoto at full speed.

Yamamoto turns his sword sideways so that the flat of the blade is pointing at Sorata. With this strange grip on the sword, Yamamoto effortlessly blocks the incoming staff, "maybe you're just not strong enough to fight me".

"Not strong enough… is this power not enough" questions Sorata before he tightens his fists. This power was the power he obtained since that promise was made by his boss, "Don't be ridiculous, this is the strength I gained, I GAINED THIS STRENGTH WITH THE HELP OF MY FRIENDS" he yells.

"I see, you had help from your friends" Yamamoto understands, smiling for a moment before refocusing his gaze on Sorata, "So did I, now I'm going to use that power, to pay you back for trampling all over their emotions".

Yamamoto uses his forearm to bat the staff aside, dropping his sword as he does it. As Yamamoto's sword falls towards the ground he kicks it straight at Sorata.

Sorata jumps above the sword to avoid it, a simple evasion for someone of his capabilities but he lost sight of Yamamoto.

Yamamoto had flown above Sorata and flew down from the sky to meet him as he jumped up from the ground. Yamamoto punched Sorata as hard as he could, driving the former student into the ground with significant force.

Sorata tried to retaliate, once more extending his staff towards Yamamoto as the sushi chef floated in the sky. _Not good enough_ Yamamoto says in his mind as he uses a new power he has learned, _'telekinesis'_. Using his mental powers, Yamamoto pulls his sword towards himself causing it to collide with the extending staff on its journey. The result of this exchange, Sorata had missed, Yamamoto had regained a grip on his sword.

Yamamoto then dropped to the ground before Sorata and lunged his sword towards him. In this time though Sorata had already begun swinging his staff again, it was heading straight for Yamamoto with a strength that perhaps not even the rain guardian could withstand.

"Watch out Yamamoto" shouts Tsuna.

"It's over" declares Sorata, certain of his own victory.

Yamamoto had different ideas, mid-lunge her released his sword and turned towards the incoming staff. "White applause" he announces as he claps his hands around the incoming staff. As Yamamoto uses the same technique as Byakuran it generates the same effect, the flames on Sorata's staff disappeared.

"Impossible" stutters the challenger.

Yamamoto didn't wait to discuss this ability however, he simply caught his sword and placed it against his opponent's neck. "Cervello, this means I win right" he smiles to the pink-haired referee.

"Of course, the winner of the rain match is Yamamoto Takeshi" declares the Cervello to cheers from the supporters of Tsuna's team. That result was essential for them and this match has reminded them of why they are fighting. The score is now 3-2 including the pre-determined mist match.

"I lost…" mumbles Sorata, the disappointment clear on his face. He had left the school so that he could become powerful enough to protect his friends but today he had found someone he couldn't protect them from.

"Don't feel bad about it, you did a great job" Yamamoto comforts Sorata as he helps him to his feet.

"He's right Sorata" reinforces Bana, "I have high expectations from all of you but I will never complain if you do your best and lose, good work my friend".

Byakuran laughs loudly next to Yamamoto causing the rain guardian to turn to his ethereal master, _"Perhaps this guy isn't so bad after all"_ he speculates, _"But I can't help but wonder why he does all of these evil things"_.

" _I'm sure all will be revealed"_ , replies Yamamoto so that only Byakuran can hear him, _"It always is"_.


	15. Excitement

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – EXCITEMENT**

 **The Cloud Battlefield**

The cloud battlefield was simple in nature, a large open field darkened due to the clouds that formed around the mountain. The grass was in poor condition, the lack of sunlight clearly had an effect on the growth. These conditions were perfect for an all-out fight between powerhouses which is exactly what is required of a cloud guardian battle.

Once again Bana had brought a familiar face to the battle, unlike previous times no psychological hindrance was caused. Hibari Kyoya wouldn't have cared even if he had to fight against Tsuna himself, he only wanted to enjoy the fight and he intended to do exactly that. His opponent stood directly opposite him sharing his eager smile, this man was Lancia.

"It's not very often someone excites me for a battle, you are one of the few" compliments Hibari. He has only met Lancia on one occasion, after the first ring conflict between Tsuna and Xanxus but that one meeting was enough to teach Hibari that Lancia was strong.

"I will offer you the same praise Hibari Kyoya" returns Lancia. He wields his steel serpent ball as he always has done, a deadly looking weapon that would make any normal man flee in terror. Lancia's training with this weapon is the reason he is revered as the strongest man in northern Italy.

"That's why I am going to go all out from the beginning" he continues as the steel serpent ball begins to condense. With the exception of Bana everyone present is surprised by this act, it's not something that they have seen Lancia do before, increasing the density.

"Oh… condensing it to increase the force with which it impacts" Hibari notes with mock surprise. Showing fear is not something Hibari would do in this situation, or any situation. If the circumstances screamed that Hibari was going to die, Tsuna's cloud guardian would still walk forward with a smile on his face.

Lancia swings the steel serpent ball at Hibari eliciting a block from one of Hibari's tonfas. The block however is ineffective, Hibari's eyes widen as he realises just how strong this attack from Lancia is. Lancia notes Hibari's reaction before increasing the force which he is using, driving Hibari back into the ground.

Hibari takes a moment to refocus himself, noting that dirt has accumulated behind him as he was dragged through the field. Picking himself up Hibari looks at Lancia and lets out a small laugh.

Lancia returns a smile, sharing Hibari's enjoyment of this so far brief fight. The onlookers watch as if Hibari and Lancia are speaking their own language. ' _They are speaking their own language'_ Tsuna thinks to himself, _'a language only understood by those who love to fight'_.

"It's been such a long time since I was so excited for a fight" comments Hibari, "Let's do this, if you are going to go all out I really should too, wouldn't you agree".

"Yeah" replies Lancia, waiting patiently to see just how strong the policeman had become in the last five years.

"Then here I go".

Hibari ran straight at Lancia, his running speed unremarkable when compared to the likes of Lambo and Yamamoto but still far quicker than most professional athletes. Lancia was unperturbed by his incoming opponent and swung the steel serpent ball at Hibari once again.

Hibari had expected the incoming attack this time, he leaped into the air above the moving ball and stabbed one of his tonfas through the chain and into the ground, preventing free movement. Hibari threw the other tonfa towards Lancia's head.

Lancia rolled away from the incoming projectile only to have Hibari land right in front of him. Another pair tonfas had appeared in Hibari's hands, _'when did he get those'_ questions Lancia before he is hit square in the face with one of the weapons.

This time it is Lancia who tumbles backwards, collecting the fields dirt on the back of his previously well-kept suit. Much like Hibari though, Lancia didn't frown but smiled as he got back to his feet, "I'm sorry, I haven't been honest with you" he apologised.

"I was far from going all out" informs the Italian as five condensed steel serpent balls appear above his head, floating in a pentagonal formation. Each ball is covered in purple flames, a clear indication of the cloud attribute present in the flame.

"This is my true power" he explains as he points his finger at Hibari. As if following its masters finger, the first of the five balls flies towards Hibari with great speed. Hibari rolls to the side, just about dodging this attack but he is unable to dodge when the second ball is sent in his direction.

Hibari doesn't get knocked backwards when he is hit by the second ball, he falls to one knee holding his now broken ribs. The smile Hibari was previously wearing has disappeared now, only to be replaced by a frown that was known for intimidating his friends back in Namimori middle school.

"I hoped not to have to use this" he comments, "Of course I was being naïve… things are getting very… exciting" he says as his wide eyed smile returns. Suddenly two new tonfas appear in his hands. These new weapons are entirely jet black and are immediately set aflame by the cloud guardian.

"What are those tonfas?" questions Basil.

Enma shares his confusion, "I can feel some sort of strange radiation from those even from here".

Bana maintains his cool demeanour despite the shock of those around him, "Tsuna, your cloud guardian is truly a fearsome man" he compliments.

"Yeah, yours too" returns the young Sawada.

"Let's finish this" Hibari demands simply as he begins to run at Lancia.

Lancia watches Hibari's run, nothing has changed, his run is quick but only compared to a normal man, for the likes of those present who can manipulate the dying will flame it was very slow. Why then did he feel such an ominous feeling of doom, was it those new tonfas.

Lancia decided not to dwell on the weapons his opponent wielded any longer, he decided to fight. Pointing his finger at Hibari once more, Lancia sent a steel serpent ball hurtling towards his opponent.

Hibari didn't change the path of his run, swinging his right arm, he used the tonfa he wielded to knock the first ball up into the air vertically. _'He didn't look strained at all'_ Lancia thinks to himself, why is he so different to before?

Lancia launches the second ball towards Hibari only for Hibari to use it as a stepping stone, launching himself 10 feet into the air as he does so. The choice of motion from Hibari seems unjust but he had his reasons. The cloud guardian moves his feet backwards in the air when they suddenly contact the first ball that he sent upwards earlier. Using the first ball as a platform Hibari thrusts himself in Lancia's direction with a new found turn of speed.

Lancia won't wait until Hibari reaches him, he settles on the idea of an all-out offensive and fires the third and fourth balls at the Japanese policeman. _'Try deflecting two at once'_ Lancia dares in his own mind, _'there is no way your arms can withstand this blow'_.

Hibari's arms don't need to withstand the blow though, as he falls towards the ground he throws his two remaining tonfas at the incoming steel serpent balls, sending all four weapons in a direction that neither fighter could intercept.

As Hibari lands Lancia continues to pick holes in his assault, _'You're wide open'_ he yells in his head as he fires the fifth and final steel serpent ball towards Hibari. An old friend comes to the disciplinarian's aid though, as if from nowhere the hedgehog Rolle appears and hits the fifth ball head on.

Using the new opening created for him, Hibari runs around the collision and heads straight for Lancia.

"You have no weapon" comments Lancia as if praying that Hibari didn't have a plan. The cloud guardian did though, he always had a plan.

On his route to Lancia Hibari runs past the chain that he fixed to the ground right back at the beginning of the fight, a chain he fixed using a tonfa. Hibari picks up this previously discarded tonfa and runs to the behind of his opponent.

Lancia flinches for a brief moment before his weak spot is struck by Hibari. Lancia falls to the ground in a moment of defeat for Bana and a moment of victory for Tsuna. With this the scores were tied at three and three, the sky match would be where everything was decided.

"It seems from the start the outcome was set. I win" proclaims Hibari with a smug smile sent towards his fallen opponent.

"A… amazing" praises Tsuna, happy as always that his family had emerged triumphant.

"This guy… he is really pushing to get into that top-level of power" smiles Enma as he looks at Hibari with admiration.

"He's something else alright" agrees Bana as he turns and fixes his gaze on Tsuna. Soon the two of them would fight, it seemed such was destiny. He had been waiting a long time for this battle, it was inevitable now. Tomorrow would determine the true successor of Vongola Primo. The man who would become Vongola 10th.


	16. Which do I hit First?

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – WHICH DO I HIT FIRST?**

 **The Sky Battlefield**

The two teams had yet to arrive at the battlefield, the two captains had been giving instructions to their teams, talking strategy. The observers had arrived though, Tsuna's friends, the Varia, the CEDEF and the 9th. Some eagerly awaited the match while some were highly irritable because they knew how important this match was.

Their irritation wasn't helped by their setting, the sky battlefield was the beach at the front of the island, the sand was coarse and was another distracting factor they didn't want to deal with. Looking into the sky though, the weather was beautiful, at least on this part of the island.

The scheduled time for the match was fast approaching and Bana and his team were the first to arrive. Bana walked with a relaxed posture, flanked by Kyoko, Tokata, Haru, Sorata, Mukuro, Chrome and Lancia.

This line-up brought out mixed feelings in the attendants. Tokata, Sorata and Lancia were OK, they had no previous allegiances with the Vongola family. However, Kyoko and Haru were previously in relationships with the 10th boss and his right hand man. The same went for Chrome, Tsuna proposed to her before coming here and had his feelings trampled over. Lastly Rokudo Mukuro, he had always seemed suspicious to the likes of Xanxus and Basil but Iemitsu had judged him a good, loyal man; seeing this judgement proven wrong was painful for them.

The 9th was slightly concerned about the timings, "Xanxus, do you know where Tsuna is?" he asks.

"Don't tell me that guy has backed down" taunts Bana, knowing that Xanxus is the one here who wants Tsuna to win the most.

Xanxus response surprised all but the Varia though, he laughed. "Let me tell you something, for people like you who prey on the weak, who steal power they haven't earned, for people like you he reserves his greatest hatred".

"Steal other people's power, what do you mean?" questions Iemitsu of the Varia leader.

"No point hiding it anymore" Xanxus comments to himself. "That guy got so strong s fast by stealing the dying will of dying people" accuses the pistol wielder. This remark causes a dramatic reaction from everyone present, of course it is a monstorous and immoral act. Two people are an exception to this though, Bana himself just smiles and Mukuro closes his eyes as he lowers his head.

"That's nonsense, you are always fabricating stuff Xanxus" declares Kyoko in defence of her leader. This man had saved her and Haru when they had been kidnapped, in her mind there was no way he was capable of such an evil act. Xanxus, someone who tried to arrange for her death once before accusing this hero stood next to her was laughable in her mind.

"That's enough Kyoko" Bana intervenes, "They are free to believe what they want, it won't matter after this match anyway" he explains. That is a threat, everyone here realises it. If this man is able to defeat Sawada Tsunayoshi then truly nobody here could stop him, it doesn't matter what they say and it doesn't matter what they do.

The 9th sighs at these developments, "I was really hoping for a succession contest with no controversy, but now that I look at the evidence…" he begins.

"There really is no doubt is there" concurs Iemitsu, focusing his gaze on the now much scarier Vongola Bana.

"You bastard, were you really pulling the wool over my eyes" yells Enma, furious at himself for being so ignorant to the danger before him.

"Right now that is not important" begins Bana as he turns to the nearest Cervello, "how much longer must we wait for Sawada before he is disq…".

"You don't have to worry about that" smiles Xanxus, "The boss definitely be here" promises the leader of the Varia.

Mammon backs up his leader, "The guy who can subordinate the Varia will definitely not cower from the likes of you" he concurs.

"He will be here; he's going to kick your ass wherever you go on this island" states Squalo.

Reborn brings his signature smile to his child like face, "He's here" he says causing everyone to look to the other side of the beach.

Tsuna is walking down the beach with some familiar faces. He is flanked by Sasagawa Ryohei, Sawada Lambo, Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi and Hibari Kyoya, all men who had become legendary mafioso the world over.

"The cat's out the bag about what he has done boss" Xanxus informs Tsuna with a blasé attitude not befitting of the danger currently present.

"It makes no difference anymore; our match is set in stone". Tsuna takes a moment to look at Chrome, a woman he believed himself to be in love with before he concentrates his gaze on Bana, his opponent. "Cervello, which of them do I hit first?" he asks.

A few moments pass without any conversation, the only communication was performed with glares, glares between the two opposing sides. The only sound to be heard was the gentle wind rustling the sand beneath the feat of the guardians.

"Allow me to explain the rules" begins the Cervello, "In this sky match all of the guardians will be kept in cages". This is not dis-similar to the poison used in the match between Tsuna and Xanxus. "Naturally the cages will be reinforced so there will be no escaping unless you are released by your boss".

"How do we release them" asks Tsuna, his eyes not moving from the Primo look-a-like stood a few metres in front of him.

"The rings will be stored nearby to their cages" explains the Cervello, "By inserting the rings into the releases at the side of their cages, only then will they be released".

"Sounds good" comments Bana, also sharing Tsuna's staring stubbornness, not shifting his head an inch from his opponent.

' _This is a lot less dangerous than our match was'_ recalls Xanxus, _'Hopefully Sawada will be able to focus'_.

The Cervello continues her explanation, "Both mist guardians for team Bana will be locked in the same cage and everybody's rings shall be kept twenty metres from their cage. The cages are located at your respective battlefields, please make your way to them now, we will make sure nobody cheats and that everybody is locked in".

As the Cervello take everyone to their respective cages Tsuna and Bana are left facing each other, waiting for the go ahead for their fight. Squalo takes the opportunity to ask Xanxus a question.

"Xanxus" Squalo loudly begins, "you're the only one here to have seen first-hand, just how strong is this Bana" he asks.

"His maximum… it's higher than I've ever seen Sawada go" comments Xanxus with a slightly depressed undertone.

"Higher than Tsuna?" says the 9th, the shock evident in his voice.

"So if he wins and what you say is true…" begins Reborn.

"We won't have any way of stopping any of his plans" Colonello finishes his rivals statement of fact.

"I'm sure Tsuna realises that more than anyone" Enma says in an attempt to calm down his friends. Of all those here Enma can claim to have given Tsuna the toughest fight of his life, second only to Bermuda. Bana seems to be much stronger in his estimation though.

Reborn nods, "The boss has never let us down before, this time won't be any different" he says without smiling. He always does his best to lighten the mood, not even Reborn can be of comfort in this situation. This battle is on too high a level; the result is far too important.

"Your friends seem to believe in you" observes Bana, "We both know the truth though, I am the true descendent of Vongola Primo" he boasts.

"I don't care about anything like that" says Tsuna much to the surprise of Bana and everyone present. "I'm going to beat you to the position of Vongola 10th not Vongola 1st".

"Let's do it then" smiles Bana, excited that his fight with his nemesis is finally about to begin. "The two glove users, let's see which one of us can go further than the other".

In that moment Tsuna and Bana shared their emotions, shared their expressions and shared their intensities. Suddenly from a motionless pose they both force the appearance of a triangle shaped dying will flame on their foreheads, the hyper dying will flame.

Bana is the first to attack upon entering hyper dying will mode, launching himself towards Tsuna he seeks to quickly put away his opponent. Tsuna reacts quickly too however, he holds his fist back behind him when a gauntlet appears on it. _'Burning Axle'_ he says to himself as he fires a ball of condensed dying will energy towards Bana.

Bana has a fighting style taken directly from Vongola Primo, the same man who entrusted that fighting style to Tsuna, their move-sets are near identical. This is proven when Bana swings his arm, a long black cloak appearing to deflect the burning axle that Tsuna had just launched.

In the time taken for Bana to conjure the cloak Tsuna closes the distance between himself and Bana and throws a punch towards his opponent's head. Bana blocks the attack with his forearm, using the connection point between the fighters as a pivot he spins and kicks Tsuna on the underside of his chin, sending the young Sawada flying upwards into the sky.

As Bana uses his dying will flame to propel himself upwards after Tsuna, he is quickly blinded as Tsuna discards some dying will flame towards his opponent's eyes. While Bana is shielding himself from these flames it gives Tsuna an opening, the chestnut haired man throws several light punches and a heavy punch in quick succession.

As Bana hits the ground at an alarming speed he has no time to think of recovery as his opponent is instantly on top of him. Tsuna's dying will flame is gone, completely vanished as he enters the minus state. As Bana's nemesis reaches for him he avoids becoming frozen by entering the same minus state himself and delivering a swift kick to his nemesis' chest, creating some separation between the two.

The blonde quickly gets to his feet and uses burning axle to attack Tsuna. As Tsuna uses the zero-point breakthrough custom to absorb the flames, he returns the same attack, the burning axle, back to Bana. Copying Tsuna's actions in a way that befits their common combat technique, Bana cups his hands together and uses custom to absorb the flames that he originally attacked with.

"I must admit, you certainly are strong Sawada Tsunayoshi" smiles Bana, the clone of Primo not even struggling for breath despite the amazing display of power he just participated in.

Tsuna shares the condition of his rival, "Yeah… you're not too bad either, it's just a shame, a shame that you used such dark methods to obtain this power". In Tsuna's mind despite everything that Bana has done to him and his friends, the two of them should still be friends. They share a common philosophy and attitude towards their subordinates it seems. It made him wonder just what caused Bana to turn so evil.

"I… I don't think I've seen a fight quite like this before" comments Basil, awe-struck by the power he has just witnessed.

"Yeah, they are evenly matched" agrees Lal Mirch.

"Can anyone tell who's dying will is stronger" questions Iemitsu, anxious that his son should participate in such a dangerous battle while he sits on the side-lines.

"Of course it's Tsuna's" comments Reborn. Despite his air of confidence Reborn cannot actually tell who's dying will is stronger. Tsuna is one of his students though, someone who had matured to a level where Reborn now felt happy referring to him as boss. The possibility of Bana's dying will being stronger than Tsuna's was not a possibility the hitman was willing to entertain.

"All those years ago I hand picked him as my successor because I saw that will within him" the 9th informs everyone, "He will protect his friends, that is why he is here".

Dino backs up his seniors, "I don't believe that this time next year I will be answering to Bana, Tsuna is my leader, that will never change".

At that comment, all those present nod in agreement.

 **The Rain Battlefield**

Byakuran floats around Yamamoto with a silly grin on his face. _"Yamamoto… Yamamoto…"_ he repeats in a childish like song.

" _What is it"_ , asks Yamamoto using his thoughts.

" _Are you going to start using your head soon, you have telekinesis if you haven't forgotten"_ the former Millefiore boss reminds his student.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot about that" Yamamoto says aloud as he laughs, drawing a strange look from Sorata.

Yamamoto's face drops, his eyes giving the impression to any who could see him that he was concentrating as hard as he could. Suddenly the ring lifted from behind it's platform and made its way towards the rain guardian in his cage.

Suddenly the ring is impaled by a long solid object, it was Sorata's staff. With the ring being displaced from behind its perch Sorata can now reach it with his staff, he immediately pulls it as hard as he can and releases himself.

"My apologies Yamamoto Takeshi, there was no way your telekinesis strength could match my physical strength" he consoles his closest rival. "As payment for releasing me, I shall set you free" he offers the baseball trainee.

"Really?" asks Yamamoto, surprised at the altruism his opponent is demonstrating, "You're not such a bad guy are you".

Yamamoto's pleasantries are interrupted as he is struck in the leg by Sorata's extending staff. He falls to the floor holding his leg but with so much fighting experience he already knows that it is broken.

"How dirty" curses Yamamoto as his opponent opens his cage.

"Feel free to help your boss, if you can" suggests Sorata as he walks towards the island, presumably with the intention of releasing another ally.

 **The Sky Battlefield**

After a continuous period of exchanging blows with Tsuna, Bana decides he has had enough of such meaningless sparring.

"Then it seems I will have to take things up a notch" notes Bana as the dying will flame from his forehead expands to cover his whole body. This is no longer the hyper dying will flame, this is the ultimate dying will flame.

"What…" starts Tsuna, he is the only one to have used ultimate mode within his lifetime, this is his first time seeing it from the outside. Tsuna is capable of identifying the flame though, that is what caused him to be so terrified.

"I told you didn't I" begins Xanxus, "I've seen him go higher than I've ever seen Sawada reach" he comments on their level of power. Tsuna only once used the ultimate dying will flame and it was his first time. That was far from the refined power that Bana is demonstrating now, this is the highest they have seen anyone take the dying will flame.

"Wait a minute, Tsuna can't use the ultimate flame of his own volition" Enma reminds himself and the others. "Reborn you have to fire a bullet" he instructs of the young hitman.

"That would be against the rules, we will just have to believe in Tsuna" explains Reborn, ever faithful in the abilities of his boss.

The faith of Tsuna's followers rendered no benefits though as Bana appeared behind the man formerly known as no-good and hits him hard in the back, sending Tsuna crashing into one of the many rock formations that line the beach before launching a final attack, his x-burner.

The sand surrounding the rock formation flies into the air, obscuring everyone's vision of the inevitably dead man that had been embedded in the rocks just seconds ago. At least any normal person would be dead.

"It would seem that I win" comments Bana, "Time to collect the other rings". With that turns and begins to walk along the beach, seemingly oblivious of the horrified facial features of all those watching. That horror dissipated but a moment later though.

"Where do you think you're going" the voice of Tsuna calls after Bana as the man emerges from the vision obscuring sand. Not only was Tsuna unharmed by Bana's attack but he had somehow emerged from it better off. He now was also in ultimate dying will mode.

"He's alright" remarks Lal Mirch as she breathes a sigh of relief.

"Wonderful Tsunayoshi" offers the 9th in encouragement to his desired successor.

"Just how did he do it" asks Squalo.

"It's obvious when you think about it" comments Xanxus to his subordinate. "The zero-point breakthrough custom, he absorbed the ultimate flame and then made it his own" explains the leader of the Varia.

Mirroring the attack performed on him a few seconds ago, Tsuna appears before Bana and punches him forcefully into a nearby rock formation.

"Stand-up" orders the young Sawada, "This fight has a long way to go" he comments.

Bana follows the order and stands up, "Yeah" he replies, "This is just getting interesting". He had a childlike excitement that could be seen in his eyes as he said that, excited for the battle, the opportunity to overcome what he considered an evil stain on the Vongola family.

The two warriors fly into the sky using their respective ultimate flames and repeatedly fly into each other. A scene so dramatic that those on nearby islands mistook it for fireworks. This fight had only just begun but it was already on a level that nobody here had seen before.

As some of the watchers turn to a screen that has been set up for them, Squalo notices his former students struggles. "Yamamoto is down" he informs the others.

"This can't be good" comments Mammon.

 **The Rain Battlefield**

" _Hey are you alright"_ asks Byakuran with genuine concern laced in his voice.

" _He broke my leg"_ explains Yamamoto. _"But..."_ he begins as he gradually gets to his feet and starts to walk, _"I still have to fight"_.

Byakuran takes a moment to smile at Yamamoto's determination before he turns his gaze in another direction. Something clearly weighs heavily on his mind.

" _Something is bothering you isn't it"_ notes Yamamoto, _"it's more than just my leg"_.

" _I'm wondering… just where did that other guy head"_ questions the white haired mafioso.

 **The Thunder Battlefield**

"About time" moans Tokata as his ally Sorata releases him.

"What happened to the cow" asks Sorata as he nods towards the seemingly unconscious Lambo.

"He fell asleep using his special technique" explains the knife enthusiast. Clearly Lambo attempted to use his blue lightning form to escape from the cage, an idiotic move but one that fits with Lambo's character.

Sorata smiles at the thunder guardian's childishness, "What an idiot, then we will take his ring so that he can't get out" he suggests. If the ring is taken away from the cage it will be near impossible for the current 10th generation to find it, a cunning move.

"There is an interesting person nearby too" says Tokata

"Oh you mean" begins Sorata before his smile gets even wider, "Lancia would change everything right now". Lancia, the strongest man in northern Italy and the second strongest their side had to offer. If the three of them were loose on the battlefield against only one of their opponents, they would have an enormous advantage.

"Indeed, he's right this way" gestures Tokata before leading his friend towards the cloud battlefield.

 **The Cloud Battlefield**

"You feel that don't you" asks Lancia. "They are coming this way" he remarks as he senses the movements of the thunder and rain attributes.

"Do you think I am afraid of your allies" Hibari poses as a counter-question.

"You are in a cage with no way to defend yourself" explains Lancia. "You would have to be an idiot to think you can defend yourself".

"Are you stupid" questions Hibari shocking Lancia and the few who are watching him on screen. "Winning this fight isn't about defending myself, all that needs to happen for me to win is for the herbivore in the sky to win his match first… that is all".


	17. The Next Level

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – THE NEXT LEVEL**

 **The Sky Battlefield**

The battle in the sky continues to rage on. Tsuna and Bana hit each-other with blow after blow, their stamina seemingly endless as they repeat their heavy strikes. Tsuna throws a fist at Bana only for the Vongola Primo clone to duck beneath his arm and punch the behind of his skull.

Tsuna uses the momentum he receives from the punch to roll forwards in the air as he swings his heel towards the underside of Bana's chin. Bana avoids the blow by rolling the backwards, the foot of his nemesis narrowly missing his face as the two of them come face to face while they hang upside-down.

While their body positions defy gravity Bana gets the upper hand, a hard body shot to Tsuna followed by catching his enemies incoming attack. With Tsuna's wrist in hand Bana executes first edition, causing Tsuna's arm to freeze before he manages to pull it free, quickly slamming his arm into his thigh to shatter the ice.

"This isn't good…" comments Shamal, noticing that the fight is flowing firmly in Bana's favour.

"What is that idiot doing?" Xanxus asks rhetorically.

"He's distracted by his allies" Reborn explains. "In his match against you he was able to focus because his guardians held their own". In the match between Tsuna and Xanxus it was due to Hibari freeing himself at the beginning of the match that his team were able to fight. This time only Yamamoto has freed himself and he seems in no condition to fight. When combined with the ring collection the opponents were gathering, it didn't look good.

"It's going a lot worse this time" agrees the 9th, relying on Reborn's narration of the previous ring battle to compare the two. "The only one of Tsuna's guardians who is free is the rain guardian".

"And Yamamoto has a broken leg" says Basil adding to the sense of desperation felt by the observers.

"Then perhaps there is no hope" sighs Enma as he holds his head in one hand.

"What are you talking about" begins Xanxus with a smile, "This time he was trained by me".

In the sky Tsuna and Bana have come to a stand-still, Bana looks slightly dejected despite having energy to spare while Tsuna takes the moments break to get as much air as possible into his lungs.

"This is no fun anymore, I guess I will just finish you now" decides Bana as he launches himself at Tsuna and throws his flaming fist towards his opponent.

Tsuna watches as his opponent closes the distance to him and lights his own fist with the dying will flame. The flame dances in a beautiful ethereal mix of orange and yellow as it waits for the moment to collide with its opposing force.

BANG the two fists connect, sending shockwaves that can be felt by all those watching the fight. The result of the clash, a cape fluttering in the wind as it's wearer flies backwards through the air. The loser of that encounter was Bana.

Bana doesn't waste time before getting back on the offensive, he fires a full power burning axle towards his opponent. Tsuna returns the move causing another dramatic clash of flames, this time Tsuna's flames overpower Bana's, moving forward before striking the blonde, the first bit of significant damage he has taken.

"Sawada" exclaims Basil, excited that his senior has gained the advantage in this fight.

"Tsuna actually won that encounter… but how did he do it" Iemitsu asks of his son. Tsuna had long since surpassed him but until now the power of his child had never exceeded his own imagination.

"Xanxus…" the 9th begins with disbelief laced in his voice, "was that really… the flame of rage" he asks.

"Yeah, this is what made me acknowledge him as boss, he was able to learn the flame of rage" says Xanxus. Long ago Reborn explained that a dying will flame was like a fingerprint or your DNA, it couldn't be changed, or so it was thought until now. "That guy is not restricted to his standard dying will flame and is able to learn more flames. It's to this end that I had Mammon show him some horrible occurrences".

"It was no trouble boss" Mammon comments, waving off any praise that Xanxus attempts to give him.

"How interesting, so it turns out you are not a simple Primo copycat after all" smiles Bana.

"That's right" Tsuna says without any emotion.

"That complicates things… I never imagined you would have developed this way" notes the son of the 1st. "Then shall we see where the fight goes from here?" he asks as if he knows something his opponent does.

 **The Cloud Battlefield**

Lancia emerges from the cage having been freed by Sorata and Tokata, he rolls his neck so as to loosen up and exchanges a smile with his teammates.

"Thanks, I hate being restrained" he says to his friends. An apt comment, something Hibari and Ace have both shared, a common feature in all cloud guardians is their hatred of entrapment.

"As for now, I suggest the you two get Hibari" he says. This is a slight surprise to Hibari, considering the strong desire they share for a rematch. Clearly Lancia is prioritising a win for his team over his own battles, something about Bana must be captivating to his followers.

"Leave it to me" yells Sorata as he rapidly expands and contracts as his staff so as to stab Hibari with it.

Hibari shocks his attacker as he casually dodges all of the attacks using minimal leg movement.

"What the hell". Sorata is confused, never did he imagine that the police officer could so effortlessly outmanoeuvre him while constrained in a cage.

"Don't you get it yet, none of you are capable of hitting me" he explains. He offers a small smirk as if he was the teenager, teasing kids with a basketball.

"You are quite a difficult man to deal with" notes Lancia.

"Calm down… calm down" Sorata says to himself more than anybody else. "There is a simple solution, we just take the ring and leave him in the cage" he suggests.

"Yeah, leave him there until the end of the match" says Lancia as he turns his back on Hibari. Deep down he feels his own pride slipping away but this is a team match, your brain has a role in fighting too and there is a lot of honour in teamwork.

"Do you know which cage is nearest" Tokata questions Lancia.

"There are two near here, the storm and the mist" the dark haired man replies.

Sorata quickly comes up with a plan, "Then the two of us will head to the storm cage, you go towards the mist".

"Very well" Lancia quickly acknowledges Sorata's scheme, "See you again Hibari Kyoya" he declares as he begins to walk towards Mukuro's cage. "I hope we have a chance to fight once more in the near future".

"Fear not Lancia, we will be finishing this soon enough".

 **The Sky Battlefield**

Tsuna continues to dominate the fight using his newly obtained flame of rage. He punches Bana sending the challenger hurtling through the air once more.

"Damn you… Sawada Tsunayoshi… Damn you" he curses as he regains control of his movements.

Suddenly a dreadful power could be felt by all on the island and for a very quick moment, Bana's hair turned jet black. It quickly returned back it's natural blonde but the moment was not missed by any of those who had come to watch, what was going on.

 **The Mist Cage**

Dokuro stares with an inquisitive expression, she gazes in the direction of the sky battle, her current boss against her former lover. Her emotions had been conflicted all day, she didn't know how she should react to anything but in that one moment she just forgot to control herself and watched in amazement. _'What is going on'_ she questioned in her mind.

"It's here" Mukuro breaks the silence, shocking Dokuro.

"What's here?" asks Dokuro.

"Chrome, this is the moment we have been working towards… are as excited as I am" asks Mukuro with a smile on his face. That smile is a mask that can hide a million different feelings but right now Dokuro felt the situation was ominous, incredibly ominous.

 **The Sky Battlefield**

"NOO" screams Bana as his hair flashes black once again. Seemingly this change is beyond his control. "I won't let this happen" he declares only for his hair to flash black once again.

"Bana, what is happening to you" asks Tsuna with a new found sense of urgency and concern.

Bana's voice changes, two layers can be detected to it, one of them the voice everyone has come to know and one slightly deeper pitched. "You will… let me speak" he says with two voices.

At this point Bana's breathing has become erratic, more reminiscent of an anxiety attack than loss of stamina. "Sawada Tsunayoshi… I'm really sorry" he apologises.

"Sorry, if you're sorry then forfeit the match, it's never too late to ask for forgiveness" offers Tsuna. He has long since suspected that Bana is not an entirely evil individual, the ideal solution would have always been for the two of them to become friends.

"I… can't" says Bana through his clenched teeth, "I'm… I'm about to lose control… to the other guy" he explains as his hair makes the permanent change to jet black.

Suddenly his two-voiced speech stops, the original voice is entirely gone now, it has been replaced by its lower-pitched counterpart. Bana laughs, "It's time for you to stop now… my weaker half".

"So you're Vongola the 10th" says Bana, "He was pushed to the level where he required me to take over… PATHETIC". This newcomer has a voice that intimidates everyone here, even Tsuna feels terror just by listening to the flow of his speech.

"Let me explain to you, this is my black dying will form" says Bana.

"Black dying will… old man?" Xanxus looks to his father questioningly.

"No, I've never heard of it either" offers the 9th.

"This must be the form that he obtained from the deaths of others" concludes Xanxus.

"This form… the form itself is pure evil" Reborn comments. Ever cool in the face of danger, Reborn once battled Bermuda as equals, even he feels terrified looking at the new Bana.

"Yeah" agrees Xanxus.

"I don't know who you are or how you were born" Tsuna begins, "But I believe that Bana has potential to be a good man". "I'm going to stop you for him".

Bana laughs maniacally at his rival's declaration before he is attacked.

"X BURNER" yells Tsuna as he fires a full force attack at Bana.

Chaos ensues on the ground as Bana uses a single palm strike to deflect the attack in the direction of the spectators. Enma quickly enters hyper mode and hits the beam with repeated attacks.

"IT'S NOT STOPPING" yells Enma, hoping with all his heart that everyone gets clear of the blast.

The gun users Reborn and Xanxus both fire their own full force attacks at the incoming attack but prove themselves unable to stop the rage flames Tsuna has taken to using. Suddenly however, the beam stops dead in its tracks, frozen.

It was if time stood still, Xanxus looked to his side to see his father, staff raised in the air. It was clear now that the 9th had performed the first edition to stop the incoming attack. As the 9th pulls his arm back to his side he begins to fall backwards, the amount of his own life he used a hefty price for stopping the attack.

"OLD MAN" yells Xanxus as he catches his falling father.

"Sorry everyone" says the 9th. "That was… all I could do".


	18. With This Sword

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – WITH THIS SWORD**

 **The Storm Battlefield**

An awkward silence had continued between Gokudera and Haru, the two vocal combatants have always had strong feelings for each other. Their loud, over the top attitudes a result of the suffering and the joy throughout their lives, a common ground that increased their ability to understand one another.

Sorata and Tokata arrive and free Haru from her cage, the twosome now having collected the rain, thunder, cloud and storm rings. Haru calmly walks from her cage without so much as a thank you to her team-mates.

Haru emotionlessly looks into the distance. "Who is free now?" she asks.

"Everyone but Kyoko" replies Tokata, keeping conversation to a minimum after feeling the tense atmosphere surrounding this cage.

"You two go free her, I want to end him by myself" declares Haru.

"Whatever you are comfortable with" says Sorata, knowing that despite Haru's expression this will be an emotional moment for her. Despite often seeming like they lack ethics in this tournament, the team that Bana has assembled do truly care for one another.

Sorata tosses the storm ring to Haru who catches it easily. Following this Tokata cups his hand onto Sorata's shoulder and nods his head towards the sun battlefield, gesturing for his friend to follow him away. Sorata returns the gesture and leaves with the knife enthusiast, allowing Haru time alone with her former lover.

As Haru opens the cage Gokudera speaks for the first time, "I can't fight back against you, my heart just wouldn't be in it" he declares.

Haru seemingly unmoved by the storm guardian's words raises her hand into the air, summoning her domineering heavy sword.

"But I have to know something" begins Gokudera. "Do you still have any feelings left for me" he asks only for Haru to answer with silence. "Because I still love you Haru".

Haru speaks to the engineer for the first time, "any feelings that I may have or have had for you will all disappear… with this sword" she claims as she moves her hand to prepare an attack.

 **The Sky Battlefield**

The spectators watch on a screen the Cervello set up as the exchange between the storm attributes unfolds. Their curiosity quickly turns to horror when Haru slams her sword down towards the floor, a huge explosive noise the result.

"HAYATO" screams Bianci as she watches the assault on her brother.

The fight serves as another distraction for Tsuna, the family boss casting his head towards the nearest screen. _'Gokudera'_ he thinks to himself, worried about the fate of his right hand man.

 **The Storm Battlefield**

Haru starts as she moves her eyes towards Gokudera only for her vision to be blocked by an entirely different being. Yamamoto Takeshi had blocked her attack.

"Made it" Yamamoto notes as he sighs.

"Yamamoto" Gokudera stammers with surprise.

Yamamoto turns his head and smiles to his old friend. "You can't fight properly here, you go and free the others" he suggests as he throws the thunder, rain, storm and cloud rings to Gokudera.

"These are…" begins Gokudera.

"The other rings… when did you get them" yells Haru.

"Did you forget, I have telekinesis. I took them from your allies while I hid nearby" explains Yamamoto.

After a few moments silence Gokudera refocuses, "Good work baseball brain, right, free the others, leave it to me" he declares as he begins to run towards the other cages.

"And thank you" he says under his breath.

"What are you talking about, we're all friends here" Yamamoto reminds Gokudera. Giving the white haired man a sense of nostalgia as he thinks back to when they all used to argue. None of them got along on the surface but deep down they were the Vongola family, it was a family worth fighting to regain.

"Yeah" smiles Gokudera as he runs into the distance.

"Now then Haru… it's time I taught you a thing or two about the sword" smiles Yamamoto.

Despite her attitude towards Gokudera, Haru is far from arrogant, she knows her own abilities are inferior to Yamamoto's so she plays to her strengths. Raising her sword high into the air again, she slams it down with as much power as she can.

Before the heavy sword has even reached him Yamamoto has used his trick to grow blue coloured wings. He quickly uses his remaining sword to block Haru's. His elbow is displaced from the centre of his body, his one handed sword style making it seem impossible for him to have blocked the attack in such a way, yet somehow he did.

The rain guardian wasn't finished; with a slight groan he forces his sword forward with enough strength that Haru's heavy sword split directly in two. This act of strength alone shows that Yamamoto completely outclasses his opponent.

Haru remains calm and raises her other hand into the air, procuring another heavy sword from the ether and summoning it to her hand. She swings this one at Yamamoto in full knowledge that his sword couldn't possibly reach it in time.

Unbothered by the attack, Yamamoto throws his own sword into the air before he slaps his hands together either side of the blade, stopping it in its tracks, _'white applause'_. Haru tried to attack with the same sword once more but was blocked as her opponent caught his airborne sword parried her blow once again.

Not only was Haru's sword blocked, this one broke as well causing her to discard both of her blades. As if trying to infuriate her, Yamamoto flashed a cheerful smile causing her to attack with all her fury. Summoning sword after sword, Haru attacked Yamamoto again and again.

Each sword Haru summoned was destroyed by a nonchalant rain guardian who seemed to dedicate more energy towards enjoying himself than actually winning. Subconsciously perhaps, this was like the good old days when he and Haru used to mess around together, the dancing had just become more violent, a difference he was happy to overlook.

After having her stamina severely depleted Haru lept backwards to create space between herself and her opponent. Out of options Haru opts for her final attack, seemingly laboured she raises her arm into the air once more to summon a sword. Sword light dances along the edge of the blade as she charges up an attack to fire at Yamamoto.

Yamamoto takes a deep breath and the smile he previously displayed disappears from his face, thin blue wisps of dying will flame sprout from his legs and take root in the ground, anchoring him as he prepares for a counter attack.

The baseball hopeful raises his sword into the air in an action that mimics Haru's with sword light dancing along his blade even more excitedly than on his opponents. Byakuran appears alongside his host for the first time since the fight began. He symbolically raises places his own hand on the hilt of his partner's sword, as if they were going to swing it together.

" _Let's do it"_ says Byakuran.

Yamamoto replied with a simple nod as he, his teacher and his opponent all swung their arms at the exact same moment, causing a significant collision of sword light to gather in the centre of the battlefield. The collision lasted merely a second before the blue flames overcome the red, flying towards Haru with an alarming amount of power still remaining.

Looking over to his former friend Yamamoto was shocked to discover that she had vanished. "She's gone…" he says aloud, presumably speaking to Byakuran or himself.

" _She is a slippery one that Haru"_ agrees Byakuran.

" _Could she have gone after Gokudera"_ asks the worried rain guardian.

" _Don't worry, he should be safe right about now"_ laughs Byakuran, his calculations predicting that Gokudera is far into the safe zone.

 **The Cloud Battlefield**

Gokudera uses the first of the rings he has assembled to free the cloud guardian, Hibari Kyoya. He didn't have the best relationship with Hibari, who frequently annoyed the former with his lack of respect to Tsuna in the days of their youth.

"Lowering myself to being saved by you… what a lack of dignity" complains the policeman.

"What sort of way is that to thank someone" yells Gokudera, as irritated as ever with the blasé attitude Hibari flaunts.

"Let's stop wasting time shall we" begins Hibari with a frown on his face. "We have a lot of cleaning up to do" he explains.

"Yeah… let's finish this" agrees Gokudera.

The two of them began walking towards their next destination, determination fixed on their faces as if drawn on with ink. The tide had turned, not only had Yamamoto won his fight but now the two of them were free and they had yet to fight in this match. Perhaps this is the start of their counter attack.


	19. The Last Chance

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – NO MORE CHANCES**

 **The Sky Battlefield**

"You bastard… damn you… damn y…" Tsuna begins but doesn't finish. The fight has not been going well since Bana transformed. The sky was formerly ablaze with the collisions of two warm and brilliant flames, now dominated by the black flame it seems a lot darker.

Bana laughs, "What's the matter, are you not going to get angry, does your flame of rage not depend on your anger" he asks as if to taunt his opponent. Bana was caught by surprise though, because in Tsuna's left hand appeared a dark orange flame, contrasting significantly with the orange flame of rage in his right hand.

"There it is…" comments Mammon as if he had been expecting this development all along.

"Boss, it's the flame of serenity" yells Squalo. When he heard no reply from his boss, Squalo turned his head to see Xanxus kneeling on the floor. The fight was so intense it had taken his focus away from the condition of the current Vongola boss.

"What are you doing on the floor shitty old man?" Xanxus rhetorically questions.

"Sorry, I couldn't do anything else to save everyone" apologises Xanxus father. "Xanxus, I think I might be going to die" he says with a hint of fear in his voice.

"Stop with that bullshit" demands the son of the 9th, "I won't let you die".

"Xanxus… I've been a terrible father to you haven't I" begins the 9th, "I lied to you for so many years, I gave you so many false aspirations, I never helped you like I should have done".

"None of that matters no…" says Xanxus before he is interrupted.

The 9th smiled through his pain as he spoke to his only child, "But, I was really proud of you when you decided to help Tsuna. Keep on advising him, I'm going to leave Vongola to you and him now".

"Who cares about any of that" questions Xanxus, "I said I wasn't going to let you die". With that statement of his intentions Xanxus gently hit the 9th on the back of the head, rendering him unconscious. Everyone watched with initial stupor, it took a few seconds before they realised Xanxus last act was to alieve the pain their boss was experiencing.

"What are you staring for, Shamal, come here now" demands Xanxus.

"Yeah" replies the doctor as he runs over to tend to the elderly mafioso.

"Enma, hurry up, go and get some medical equipment" orders the Varia Leader, "We're definitely going to save this old man".

Spotting an old wound that had opened on the 9th's body, the hitman tutor Reborn approached his boss and applied pressure to the bleeding injury. "Xanxus is right, the 9th won't die while we can do anything about it".

"Yeah" everyone shouts in agreement before they do their best to help the medicinal effort. It was one conversation that truly re-united the father and son duo, their bond so significant and important that in that moment, everyone had forgotten about the fight in the sky.

As Tsuna floats in the air he now has a flame in each hand. In his right hand the flame fuelled by the anger he feels towards Bana, a man who turned his old friends, his mist guardian and his lover against him. In his left hand the flame fuelled by the calm and mercy that are etched into Tsuna's soul, his desire to fight for the good man he believes Bana has the potential to become. The dangerous competition represents the most powerful weapon in Tsuna's arsenal.

"I'm not going to forgive, not for hurting the 9th" he says to his dark haired opponent.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it you who did that" taunts Bana, recalling that it was Tsuna's X-Burner that he parried towards the 9th generation boss.

Tsuna looks into his open palms, the rage in his right, the serenity in his left. He clenches his fists and launches himself at his opponent, closing the distance as quickly as possible. His hair fluttering as a result of his speed, Tsuna arrives before Bana and throws a punch with his right, rage flame clad hand.

Tsuna's movement is fast, perhaps even faster now that he is comfortably using two types of flames at once, Bana still has the overall power advantage. As Tsuna's fist converges on the head of the raven haired upstart, the challenger to the 10th's throne ducks beneath the incoming punch. Tsuna responds quickly, shifting the flames of serenity down to his elbow momentarily as he raises his left arm to hit his rival in the head.

As the son of the 1st grabs his aching head, Tsuna drops his altitude slight, using gravity as his ally as he gets in the perfect position to deliver an uppercut with his right hand. As Bana lifts into the air slightly it presents Tsuna with a perfect chance to attack his leg. With the flames of serenity prepared for an attack, Tsuna's incoming fist is stopped.

It was a casual raising of Bana's foot that did it, he stopped the attack with his toes. "Is that it… is that all you have Sawada?" asks the black flame user.

To add to Tsuna's shock, Bana's counterattack is seemingly effortless. He directs his black flames to his feet, using the power they contain to blast the young Sawada backwards while not moving an inch himself.

' _I'm completely outclassed right now'_ Tsuna decides in his head, _'This form of his, it's clearly even higher than ultimate… but it's existence must be removed'_.

Suddenly from out of nowhere, Bana's hair changes from being black to being blonde. His eyes have a naïve and innocent look that Tsuna hasn't witnessed before, the look that he himself used to wear on his face.

At that moment, or perhaps because of that moment, the 9th regained his consciousness. "Ah" he says as if the weight of the world had just been removed from his shoulders, "Look at that".

"DO IT" Bana screams at the top of his voice.

Realising that Bana's good half had only gained temporary control, Tsuna raises both hands in the air and slams them down on Bana's head, slamming his opponent into the ground using the combined power of the flames of rage and serenity.

"He did it" Colonello says excitedly, as he draws the spectators attention away from the recent awakened 9th.

"Way to go Tsuna" Reborn congratulates his pupil.

Tsuna is not so convinced though, he breathes heavily as he looks down at his fallen opponent, "Bana…".

"That was a nice attempt" Bana declares as the black pigment in his hair returns to the dismay of the spectators.

"He survived" the 9th notes with horror.

"I have fortified my mind properly now" declares the raven haired Bana, "The weaker side won't be coming back again… for you Sawada Tsunayoshi, that was the lost chance".

 **The Sun Battlefield**

As Kyoko is released from her cage she wastes no time in moving to free her brother. "Come, I want you both here, I want to make sure that this time he dies" she decides. Her hatred towards her brother proportional to the love they used to share for one another.

Stretching lightly as she frees her brother Kyoko is prepared for a fight. Perhaps this time he would actually try to fight back, he might even win against her. Winning against all three of them is an entirely different prospect, the trio should be comfortable defeating any of the guardians who work under Tsuna. Ryohei had always been the weakest of Tsuna's guardians, they were comfortably ready for a battle.

"Sis…" says the boxer with a small smile on his face.

Kyoko interrupts her brother by kicking him in his head, a small amount of blood staining the cage bars as it ejects itself from Ryohei's mouth. The kickboxing of Kyoko did more damage to Ryohei's heart than his body, something reflected as the sun guardian drags himself to his feet.

"I understand I think… your anger that is" he begins.

"But we made an honest mistake in trusting those who came to check on you.".

"I think Sawada wanted to believe that Vongola really could be changed for the better."

"It's the same way that I wanted to believe you were still the same person" he finishes, regaining the smile he was flaunting before.

Annoyed that Ryohei had decided now was a good time for a speech, Tokata throws a knife and uses it to teleport to Ryohei's front. As he swings the knife into Ryohei's arm, a critical target he is shocked when the knife instantly shatters.

Ryohei, his eyes still not having strayed from Kyoko continues his speech, "But the gloves are off now" he declares as he punches Tokata sending him into the nearby bushes.

"WHAT" yells Kyoko, dumbfounded by Ryohei's sudden show of strength.

"That was for all the friends you left behind" he declares.

Sorata decides to not let Ryohei gather momentum, opting to attack with his staff while the champion is talking. Ryohei saw through the move and caught the staff mid-swing.

"This one is for my little brother" he announces as he punches Sorata into the distance in the same way he did Tokata.

' _No way… he was this strong, he could have easily beaten me back then'_ Kyoko comes to this realisation as her brother stares her down.

"You've come back sis; I don't know what you were hoping to achieve but I'm going to make you pay for hurting my friends" he declares as he bares down on his sister.

"HA, there's the problem, you would have never hit your sister before… WHEN DID YOU STOP VIEWING US AS FAMILY" Kyoko screams.

"My family is the Vongola" claims Ryohei defiantly.

Ryohei gets within range of his sister and catches a punch she throws out of desperation. "You made an enemy of Vongola, so you've made an enemy of me" he declares as he sets his fist on fire and swings it at his terrified rival.

Just as the punch is about to connect, Sorata teleports to Kyoko and then away again with the kickboxer in tow. A last minute escape orchestrated by a fully cohesive team.

"Gone huh" Ryohei says as if amused by their disappearance. Sensing a presence, he turns around to face a few newcomers.

Before Ryohei stands the group of Yamamoto Takeshi, Gokudera Hayato, Hibari Kyoya and Sawada Lambo. The guardians who follow Tsuna have finally united together.

"They are gathering their forces for an all-out battle" Hibari explains.

"That's our specialty though" Gokudera declares with a smile.

"Lambo will end this with a flash of electricity" announces the child amongst the adults.

Yamamoto simply nods to the man he used to refer to as senpai.

"Yosh, let's go then… to the final battle" agrees Ryohei.

With that the final act of the sky battle was about to begin. Team Tsuna vs Team Bana, the greatest clash in the history of the Vongola family.

 **On Route from the Mist Cage to the Sky Battlefield**

As Mukuro and Lancia walk towards their allies, preparing for what was to be the greatest clash they had ever fought in they said few words at this point. Both have no need to share words, they enjoy exchanging attacks not opinions. As Lancia accompanies the still fresh Mukuro though, he cannot help but wonder about something.

"You left her behind?" Lancia asks, Dokuro clearly the subject of his question.

"Of course, she is still incapable of killing Sawada Tsunayoshi" explains the purple haired criminal. Mukuro spent several months relying on Dokuro for all information of the outside world, choosing her to exist in harmony with him as a duo of mist guardians, he knows her mind better than anyone.

"Therefore she would be best off not participating in this battle" he continues.

"I was never on his side but let me ask you, why betray Sawada" Lancia further presses Mukuro, unable to see through this mysterious individual.

"I was offered power when the ring was given to Chrome" says Mukuro, "That's the only reason I joined him in the first place".

"How despicable" Lancia smiles as if he doesn't believe what Mukuro is saying. Lancia's ability to see through Mukuro's lies comes from a time he was possessed by Mukuro. If your thoughts are those of an evil mastermind for a period of several weeks, you will gain a much better understanding of how their thought process works.

"Your opinions offer me little" Mukuro dismisses the line of questioning.

A few awkward moments pass before Lancia and Mukuro reach the rest of their team.

"I hope you are all prepared" says Mukuro, "This will be the final battle".

 **The Sky Battlefield**

Tsuna is knocked to the ground by Bana, an event that has happened too many times in this fight. The chestnut haired boss continued struggles speak poorly for the Varia and those who have showed him any loyalty in the past, he cannot let this evil version of Bana defeat him.

It was then at the worst possible moment that Bana's guardians appeared on the sky battlefield. Tsuna gazed at the newcomers, while he was aggravated by the presence of his former friend Mukuro, it was a great relief that Dokuro wasn't in the line-up. _'Mukuro must have left her behind'_ postulates the senior Sawada brother.

"It's over for you Tsunayoshi" Bana declares arrogantly. "The position of Vongola 10th will belong to me" he says as he points at himself.

"No" Tsuna defiantly stands up to Bana, "My guardians will definitely appear, they have never let me down, they never will, you can count on that".

As if an act from god, it was at that very moment that his guardians arrived on the field, joining Tsuna in a single file line facing off against their rivals, friends, opponents and enemies.

"They made it" Basil yells excitedly.

"That's the way Tsuna" the 9th gently comments.

"It's time old man, the boss is going to show that guy… show him just what it means to be a Vongola".

Tension in the air is thick as the two teams stare each other down. To the spectators it almost feels as if the ground is shaking, to those spectators strong enough they can tell that the ground really is shaking, such is the power of the dying will flame gathered in one spot.

Bana begins to laugh sadistically, "What a joke, hang back my guardians, I don't need you for this fight" he boasts.

Bana talks the talk and proceeds it by walking the walk. The raven haired leader turns into a streak of light as he flies into Ryohei, knocking the sun guardian down onto his face in one blow. He succeeds his first attack with a second, hitting Gokudera to his back in the same manner.

"Ju…dai…me" Gokudera mouths as he falls backwards.

Yamamoto attempts to buck the trend of the guardian's domination by growing wings and flying backwards so as to retreat. This retreat is nowhere near enough to escape Bana, the latter imitating an attack from Tsuna's battle against Byakuran. He grabs Yamamoto's wings and kicks the rain guardian in the back, severing the mobility aids.

"Lambo will…" begins Lambo, ignoring the fact that declaring an attack is foolhardy in this situation.

Ignoring Lambo completely Bana uses a well-placed kick to fire Tsuna's younger brother into Gokudera, adding to the injuries of each. Then he comes to Hibari, the last of the guardians. Hibari's superior reaction speed grants him one attack, a strong swing of his reinforced tonfas aiming directly for Bana.

The result of this collision, Hibari was blown away despite being the aggressor, such is Bana's power. As for the main course, Mukuro's new boss appears before his former boss and hits him square in the face, knocking him to the ground with the remainder of his family.

Bana walks backwards towards the line his guardians have formed. "HAHAHA, THIS IS HOW WEAK YOU ARE, DID YOU EVER THINK YOU COULD WIN" he shouts at Tsuna, taunting the man he has considered an enemy for many years now.

"Just give me the sky ring, forfeit the match" offers Bana.

In return to that demand Tsuna lead his guardians who one after another stood up, still defiant in the face of overwhelming odds. The spectators are joyful as they hear Tsuna's answer to this offer.

"We are not giving up… not in a million years".


	20. Now it's our Turn

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – NOW IT'S OUR TURN**

 **The Sky Battlefield**

As Tsuna and his guardians get to their feet many of the spectators are joyful that their family are not giving up. Unlike the others though, Reborn, Xanxus and a few members of the Varia realise that the situation is still dire, with Tsuna and his fellows being severely injured in comparison to their opponents.

Bana looks down his nose at Tsuna and his tone changes, rendering his voice more sombre than before, "You know it's quite pathetic really, how weak you are" he begins. "It must be damn sad, your fiancée and your mist guardian both betrayed you. Your friends have all betrayed you and you're about to lose everything".

Tsuna snickered as Bana explained his opinion. "Sad, you sure have an interesting way of thinking about it" he suggests much to the surprise of Bana and the spectators. "You may have put me through a lot of pain… but I still regret nothing".

"As a result of what you did I made lots of friends in the Varia" recaps Tsuna, "and you know what, despite their new attitudes, Kyoko and Haru, they're still alive. Not only that but the rest of your guardians seem like really nice people. Lose everything, keep dreaming, thanks to you I can bring Vongola to greater heights than ever before, all I need to do is beat you and free the real Bana".

"Enough talk" Bana yells as he unleashes a burning axle towards Tsuna and his guardians.

As Tsuna moves to block the burning axle the sand from the beach is thrown into the air blocking them from view.

"Is… is this it… is it over?" asks Lussuria, clearly terrified at the prospect of defeat.

"Tsuna" Iemitsu mutters as he closes his eyes and clenches his fists. How would he ever explain it to Nana if their son died this way.

"Sawada…" Basil exclaims in disbelief. His senior, the man he was destined to work with when they inherited the key roles in the Vongola family.

"No" Enma says as he projects his voice to all his fellow spectators, "Tsuna wouldn't lose".

"He'll stand up; he always does" agrees Colonello

Not bothering to listen to the opinions of the spectators Bana takes a few steps forward and turns to address his guardians. "Go and take their rings, you've earnt them" he praises only to gasp when he hears a faint burning sound from behind his back.

As Bana hears the burning sound he doubts his own ears, he put everything into that burning axle. He turns around hesitantly refusing to believe Tsuna could survive. As the son of the 1st turns his gaze he was slowly graced by the sight of Sawada Tsunayoshi, his arm held out before him in a perfect horizontal line.

"Now it's our turn" he proclaims.

"What the hell a…" Bana starts before being interrupted.

With a speed that had somehow increased once again Tsuna closed the distance between the two leaders and delivered a punch straight to Bana's chest. The result, the raven haired clone is taken off of his feet and is driven backwards into Sorata, into his own team-mate.

"What… what the hell" Lancia is completely stunned by this action, Tsuna was actually able to get a solid hit on Bana.

"How did he do that" Kyoko asks her team-mates.

"I have no idea" replies Haru as she tightens her grip on her sword.

"He actually did it… that guy… that was the zero-point breakthrough" declares Xanxus.

"But that effect, it wasn't…" starts Enma, clearly realising that this was not the effect of first edition or custom.

Xanxus smiles knowingly, "He did it with the flames of serenity instead of his normal flames, so it produced a different effect". Xanxus recalls Tsuna mentioning that he was attempting this in training but never thought that his boss would be able to succeed. To use the zero-point breakthrough in such a way is unthinkable.

"You bastard" yells Bana as he launches at Tsuna once more.

"Zero-point breakthrough serenity edition" Tsuna announces as the flame on his hand begins to flicker. Upon Bana closing the distance and throwing his kick towards Tsuna he was blocked, blocked by a shield made of pure dying will flames.

As Bana started at this development the 9th expresses his admiration towards the man he hoped would succeed him, "I never even dreamed that the zero-point breakthrough could be used like this".

Upon defending himself from Bana's attack the elder Sawada brother reacts by dissipating his shield and swinging his rage flame clad right fist at Bana, sending the evil-doer backwards once again.

"I won't accept this" Bana says through gritted teeth.

Tsuna doesn't reply with words, he simply stares at Bana, almost as if he pity's his opponent.

"I WON'T" Bana yells at the top of his lungs as he launches towards Tsuna once again.

Not holding back in the least, the clone punches towards Tsuna who has re-spawned his shield. This time the results are different however, Bana raises the fight to new levels again by punching straight through the shield and tackling Tsuna over a great portion of the beach.

Seemingly ignoring the attack, he just witnessed, Hibari sparks the action between the two teams, "Let's go" he says simply.

As the two sets of guardians battle each other Basil raises a concern. "Hold on, aren't we outnumbered here, won't this be a big problem Mr Reborn?".

Reborn smiles, "Don't worry, didn't you see earlier that Ryohei was able to take on three of them by himself".

"That's true" returns Basil.

"Looks" says Reborn, causing Basil to look back to the fight.

Throughout this ring contest it had been highlighted to the spectators many times that the teamwork of Bana's subordinates was sublime however, it was still far from the level that Tsuna's guardians had reached.

"They're totally dominating them" yells Ken.

"This is incredible" Squalo excitedly chants with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, those guys are going to win" Belphegor nods in agreement.

Suddenly all of Bana's warriors leap backwards as if they are retreating from Tsuna's fighters. The reason they are doing this is unclear to everyone, until Xanxus looks into the sky to see the fight going on above.

"Look" Xanxus says as he points to the sky.

As the allies of Tsuna look on they are struck by terror when they see Tsuna falling from the sky. Not giving him a moment to rest and working perfectly in sync with his team, Bana stamps on a falling Tsuna, the latter plummeting down into his followers with great speed. The impact was so hard and the strength behind the blow so great that all the guardians had been caught in the impact, a huge crater had formed where they had been pushed down into the earth below.

"Dammit, he actually made a breakthrough but it's still not enough" curses Xanxus, unable to comprehend how his boss had done so much to get stronger but was still not winning.

Tsuna lays in the crater as his dying will flame flickers for the last time and slowly dies. He had given everything to defeating his opponent yet it was still not enough. What was he supposed to do now, how was he supposed to move forward?

"Was that… all I could do?" Tsuna asks himself.

"10th, please don't give in… we've come so far" Gokudera encourages his friend.

"I haven't got the dying will flame… it's gone Gokudera" Tsuna explains

Bana lands down amongst the guardians and approaches Gokudera, "It's pathetic, how noisy you are, perhaps I should kill you first".

"Shut up… I'm going… to beat you" says Tsuna as he struggles to his feet, "I have to stand up to you".

"You know that you can't win don't you, why do you continue to fight when you can't win" questions Bana, for the first time genuinely intrigued to hear how his counterpart will answer.

"This fight isn't about whether I win or lose, it's about… it's about not letting down my friends again, so I'll fight you even without the dying will flame" answers Tsuna.

"Do it Tsuna" yells Dino causing the other spectators to look at him in awe. "You've got this" he says as he offers a thumbs up to the man he shares a tutor with.

"That's right, go beat him" Squalo proudly joins Dino in shouting.

"This fight is no different to any other you've had so far" Iemitsu tells his son.

"Honestly" sighs Bana, tired of all the hoops he has had to jump through in this fight.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP" Reborn yells with an abnormal sense of urgency, "LAMBO, I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU TO…".

Tsuna has stopped listening to the yells of his friends, already throwing his first attack towards Bana. Without the dying will flame Tsunayoshi was incredibly slow, Bana easily outpaces his opponents fist with his own, hitting the unprotected fighter into one of the beaches many rock formations.

"TSUNA" the spectators yell. Having taken an unprotected blow from an opponent at this level, Tsuna is certainly dead.


	21. As Instructed

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – AS INSTRUCTED**

 **The Sky Battlefield**

The broken and battered body of Sawada Tsunayoshi lay embedded in a rock formation. Everyone's devastation apparent as the reaction was a mixture of screams and wails. What was going to happen now that Tsuna had lost, how could he have really died. Amongst all the devastations though the hitman tutor Reborn sighed in relief.

For a reason nobody but the arcobaleno understood a dim glow appeared around Tsuna's body, the glow increased in intensity, it increased further and further until exploded into a dramatic body encompassing flame. It was the ultimate flame.

As Tsuna got back to his feet Bana had become the one wailing. "IMPOSSIBLE… WHY… WHY ARE YOU BACK ON YOUR FEET HE ASKED". As he looked around Bana started when he saw something he never expected, the stupid cow had aged ten years.

"It was this day 10 years ago" adult Lambo explained, "That Reborn told me he was going to teach me something".

"Teach you something" Bana says with curiosity in his voice.

Adult Lambo smiles and raises his hand, "This" he says as he shows a small metallic bullet to his brother's opponent. "It's a dying will bullet".

"A dying will bullet, so you used the ten-year bazooka" deduces the raven haired Bana.

The exposition is interrupted by the recovered yet heavily injured Tsuna, "Hey" he says drawing his rival's attention. "Let's go Bana, everyone is waiting for us to finish this".

Bana takes a second to calm himself before his old smile returns to his face. "True you have regained the ultimate flame… but this is exactly the same as before, I am just more powerful than you, I can beat you again" he proclaims.

"Is that so" asks Tsuna as he raises out to his side at full stretch. As Tsuna holds his arm in the air rage flames gather along the length.

"What are you…" begins Bana.

Tsuna doesn't wait to answer Bana's question, his next action makes his intentions perfectly clear. The rage flame started to flicker, it was as Xanxus described all those years ago, a flickering abnormal flame.

"This could it be… could it be that he's going to attempt the zero-point breakthrough with the flame of rage" he shouts. This is unbelievable, his opponent had not only learned how to use multiple flames, something which should be impossible. He has also learnt the zero-point breakthrough on more than one of them, on three, just what is this man.

A smile comes to Xanxus face as his boss looks like making another breakthrough. A pride that he has never before felt warms his heart as his student fights against the odds. _'Go for it Tsuna'_ the Varia leader cheers in his heart.

"Is this even possible" asks Squalo.

"Who knows" Reborn mutters with a smile, "But it looks like we are about to find out".

To interrupt the discussions about his power, the flame on Tsuna's arm suddenly disappears completely as he moves into the minus state.

"Zero-point breakthrough, rage edition" he announces.

Tsuna's fists shine more brightly than ever before as he activates the new version of the zero-point breakthrough, rage edition. His fists glow orange like a sword being forged by an expert blacksmith.

Bana places his first foot down with the intention of launching himself at Tsuna. The no-good however, was not in the mood to wait. Immediately appearing before his opponent Tsuna delivered one strong punch to the face.

Bana gets driven back through the sand, vomiting blood as he first attempted to get back to his feet. "I won't… I won't lose to you" he yells at Tsuna as he throws his fists at him, engaging in a battle of rapid punches. His efforts are hopeless though as Tsuna drives him back, winning the brief encounter.

Bana leaps backwards creating separation between himself and his target. "I'm going to hold in back in trying to kill you… I don't care if this attack kills ten people as long as you are one of them" he yells as he prepares an X-Burner.

"Then I won't hold back either" returns Tsuna as he performs rage on his right arm.

"DIE" says Bana as he fires an X-Burner.

"Rage edition" yells Tsuna as he punches the air before him.

As the young Sawada punches the air the flames that coat his fist are projected towards the incoming X-Burner. A clash between a beam of fire and a huge fist of fire. An explosion that shakes the entire island, in one second these two warriors had shown the spectators true power.

Such a powerful shockwave was emitted that all the spectators were forced onto their knees, unable to see what was going on. Reborn, desperate to know the result of the encounter forces himself to his feet and looks at the two boss candidates.

"Reborn… who won, who won the fight" asks the 9th.

"It's him… Tsuna… TSUNA WON" Reborn yells excitedly.

A huge cheer went up from the spectators, they embrace each other and chant in excitement as Tsuna overcame his challenger. This was a ring fight unlike any in the history of the Vongola family and their hero, their champion had overcome the greatest adversity they had ever experienced.

"Bana… you were really strong" compliments Tsuna.

Adult Lambo smiles at his older brother (who was younger than him at this point), jovial at finally being able to witness this important chapter in his life. He is shocked though as he watches his sibling lose his balance and fall flat on his face.

"Brother" he says as he moves to walk towards his boss. As always the ten-year bazooka chose the most awkward moment possible, the grievously injured child Lambo returning to the present.

"What are you waiting for" asks Shamal as he turns to a nearby Cervello, "Declare Tsuna the winner".

"We cannot" explains the Cervello, "he is yet to obtain the half of the Vongola ring in his opponent's position".

"They are both just stuck there though, none of the guardians can even move" Colonello protests as he worries how the battle will end.

"I can do it" says Tsuna as he cringes while he slowly gets back to his feet.

The other guardians also get back to their feet, they are not required and should be no means be walking but they feel a duty, an obligation to their boss. They are going to win this together. The boss begins to walk towards his downed opponent when he is interrupted in the worst way possible.

"I'm here as instructed Lord Mukuro" announces a newcomer who has just walked onto the beach. Dokuro has joined the battle.

"Dokuro" exclaims Ken.

"She's here" notes Chikusa.

Mukuro tries to get out some words but his speech is gone, such is the beating delivered by his opponents earlier. Unfortunately for Tsuna and his allies, the evil Bana still has his voice.

"Chrome, as your master, I command you to kill Sawada and his guardians" orders Bana.

A look of horror appears on Dokuro's face as Bana finishes his sentence, "Do it… or I will kill her".

"THAT'S DIRTY" yells Ken.

Chikusa knows that nobody amongst the spectators will know who is being referred to. "The only person Chrome has left in her family is her mother, he must be talking about her".

Ken continues, "Why would Lord Mukuro tell him about her… why would he".

"That's right, Sawada won't kill me regardless of what I do, nobody can stop me killing her if I want" Bana laughs sadistically.

Dokuro sheds a tear as she clenches the trident in her hand. Is this really OK, it's to protect her mother but attacking Tsuna, a man she fell in love with. After everything he has done he still hasn't shown any sort of grudge against her. It just feels wrong to be fighting him.

"Dokuro, if it's important to you don't you dare hold back" Tsuna stares at his former mist guardian. "We won't hold back either so come at us with everything you've got".

Dokuro continues to cry as she closes her eyes and raises her power to the maximum, far higher than anyone here can reach after fighting for so long. Upon opening her eyes however she wavers at the determined look on the faces of Tsuna and his guardians.

' _They can't stand properly'_ realises Dokuro, _'there's no way they can fight but… I have to do this, it's for my mother… it's for my mother'_.

Dokuro's power drops as she realises at last, _'I can't fight him… not even for her'_. She walks over to Bana and takes his ring before throwing it to Tsuna. "My team forfeits" she declares, "Team Tsuna wins".

The former jubilation returns to the spectators as they celebrate their victory. Basil punches the air and Enma chants Tsuna's name in delight.

"Xanxus, I can't see but the cheering makes me pretty confident, he won right?" asks the 9th.

"Yeah, the match is over, the boss has won" Xanxus informs his father.


	22. All Along

**BATTLE OF THE SUCCESSORS – ALL ALONG**

 **The Sky Battlefield**

Despite his poor condition and their previous opposition Tsuna limped over to Dokuro and hugged her tightly, the two finally embracing again as the sun set over the island.

"Dokuro, I promise I will lay down my life to protect her" Tsuna declares sincerely. Dokuro has become the most important person in his life, looking after her loved ones is a must in his eyes.

"Boss, forgive me" she asks.

"There is nothing to be forgiven" says Tsuna as he looks over Dokuro's shoulder to see a gathering of dying will flame.

With the final part of his strength Bana unleashed one final burning axle towards the embracing couple. After finally reuniting with her, Tsuna wasn't going to let Dokuro die. Using the last part of his strength the chestnut haired man swung his lover around his body, positioning himself between her and the blast.

That wasn't what caused people to cry out in shock though, what caused that was the man who positioned himself in the way of Tsuna, Rokudo Mukuro. Taking the burning ball of heat Mukuro held firmly against the blast, dissipating it before falling backwards onto the floor.

"LORD MUKURO" screams Dokuro as she runs over to her saviour.

"Mukuro" exclaim Ken and Chikusa as they join Dokuro in tending to their leader.

"Lord Mukuro, why?" asks Dokuro through newly rejuvenated tears.

"Chrome, from now on you are released from your bond to me" declares Mukuro as he finally regains control of his voice.

"But why" Dokuro reiterates, "Why did you do that".

Mukuro smiles his creepy smile, a smile he has become famous for in the underworld, "We still need Sawada Tsunayoshi at full power, you've become part of his power now".

"Therefore" he continues as he raises his hand to cover Dokuro's eye. "I'm giving my powers to you" he says as a thin purple wisp stretches between his hand and her eye.

Shocked at the new power she has gained Dokuro quickly discards her focus on her eyes. "Lord Mukuro, you can't die" she says, recalling all the memories she shares with the man, all the good times and bad they have had together. "Not after everything you've done for me".

Mukuro maintains his smile and opens his mouth to speak again. No speech comes from his mouth though and he seems to make some adjustment to his position as he grunts in pain.

"Tsunayoshi, come here" Mukuro manages to whisper.

"Tsuna" Dokuro gestures to her partner to come over.

Tsuna approaches his former friend and leans in close so that the two of them can talk. These might be Mukuro's last words, it's vital that he hears them. Listening to any dying requests Mukuro has is a point of honour for Tsuna, this man was an ally for a long time after all.

With a snicker Mukuro starts, "Would you believe me if I told you I was working on behalf of the family all along".

"Of course" replies Tsuna, "You're one of my mist guardians".

Mukuro's smile grows slightly. He has always been so calculating, he has always had a plan but he knows this is it for him. It's finally good to have a moment where he can just sit back and enjoy being praised.

"I'm so glad… when I first saw Bana he told me about how he was a clone of Vongola Primo" begins Mukuro, "I realised quickly that he was designed to be evil… however something his creators didn't expect, the 1st spoke to his son through some kind of psychic link".

Tsuna listens intently to Mukuro's story, wondering exactly where Bana truly came from.

"Bana had potential for good in him but he was inherently evil, so I had to use a radical method to reform him. I killed people I will admit, I harvested their dying will flame to feed the evil within him. But it did more than that, it separated his good and evil halves, just like I planned. Now all you have to do is do away with the evil half" explains Mukuro.

Tsuna is amazed, Mukuro really went through all this trouble just to bring the good out in Bana. For the mist guardians who have always been treacherous and hard to deal with this is an incredibly forward thinking move. He was truly acting in the best interests of his family.

"Bana is a good man, a valuable ally in the fight yet to come, please look after him" begs Mukuro.

"I will" Tsuna quickly agrees as he frantically nods his head.

"And Ken and Chikusa" Mukuro adds.

"Them too" replies Tsuna, "I promise".

"And finally from now on you have to protect Chrome, your fiancée, I'm passing that job onto you".

"I won't let anyone hurt her" Tsuna says with steel in his voice.

"That's good, I can go peacefully now" Mukuro sighs.

"Mukuro…" Tsuna gets out before he is interrupted.

"Bana was made remember" says Mukuro, "the worst is still… yet to come".

With those final words Mukuro stopped breathing. The mist guardian had died. He could have died a traitor, a selfish fighter who only thought of himself. Condemned to being cursed throughout history, that fate was almost forced upon Mukuro but he fought it. He took a weapon designed for destruction and turned it into a powerful ally. He made an evil man good, that will always be his legacy.

"Lord Mukuro…" Dokuro says lightly before she closes the eyelids on her former master. "Thank you for everything".

A few minutes passed before Bana's good half returned, his blonde hair overcoming the darkness and his personality restoring to that of the good man Mukuro sought to protect.

"Oh my god" he starts, "Chrome, I'm so sorry".

Tsuna stumbles over to his new found friend, "We can sort that issue out another time. Right now you need to tell us how to expel your evil half".

Bana looks down, clearly he doesn't have a solution, though somebody makes a suggestion. "I know someone who is an expert on split personality, he can sort this out just using his powers" suggests Reborn.

A few hours pass while Basil flies off coast to find the helper in question. Bana sits awkwardly between a group of people with their weapons drawn on him. He understands why people are so suspicious of him, it's very reasonable however, he really does find this whole situation uncomfortable.

Suddenly Basil returns with a small man dressed in a lab coat, the arcobaleno Virgo.

"Why am I being forced to help the Vongola" Virgo immediately looks in the direction of Reborn and Colonello, his fellow arcobaleno.

Not wanting to waste time Tsuna threatens Virgo, "Virgo, if you don't destroy this man's evil half I will destroy all of your research".

"Oh I see, threats, typical, I thought you were supposed to be different" taunts Virgo.

"Of course, I'm still a member of the mafia" Tsuna reminds the scientist, "If it's to protect my friends I am still willing to force your cooperation. It has no detrimental effect on you after all".

Virgo simply glares at Tsuna. The young Vongola boss seeing that he is still unmoved makes him an offer, "I am willing to repay the favour if you ask it of me".

"Oh, I see a favour from the Vongola boss" Virgo mulls over the idea, "That's a rare commodity indeed".

After thinking for a moment Virgo comes to a decision, "Alright, I will eliminate the evil personality from this clone of Vongola 1st."

Bana smiles as he offers his gratitude, "Thank you Arcobaleno".

Virgo doesn't reciprocate Bana's politeness, instead he gathers dying will flames between his hands. The green flames of the thunder attribute gradually migrate to surround the wounded body of Bana before they clamp down on it in a vice like fashion.

Several seconds pass before a deep screaming voice can be heard. Bana's evil half had been eliminated.

"I will call you when I need you to repay my favour" Virgo says, already walking away from his patient.

Basil approaches his friend Enma upon finally recovering his breath. It was a long journey to bring Virgo to the island. "I can't help but feel this has all gone terribly".

"Yeah" agrees Enma, "With the loss of Mukuro, the loss of Byakuran, this hasn't been a beneficial encounter" concludes the Shimon family boss.

Tsuna however decides to adopt a more positive attitude. "Come on everyone, we're all going home".

The 9th smiles having finally recovered from his former injuries. He looks at Tsuna comfortable with the fact this man will succeed him.

"Well said" he praises, "Vongola 10th".


	23. Chrome Hino

**BECOMING THE BOSS – CHROME HINO**

 **A Port, Tokyo, Japan**

As the mafioso arrive in Tokyo Tsuna is filled with a sense of relief. The sun is shining in the sky and the smell of sea water fills his nostrils. After the ordeal of the ring conflict it is good to finally be home.

After reflecting on the sights and sounds of his home country Tsuna looks to his side to see Chrome Dokuro, his fiancée. Perhaps the greatest relief following the ring contest wasn't that he had won but that the two of them had been re-united.

After the boat docks and the various passengers begin to disembark Tsuna and Dokuro wait for the others to get off so that they can take their time. Upon eventually stepping onto the shore Tsuna is surprised by what he sees. His father and younger brother had already reunited with his mother and it looked like she had been scolding the two of them.

Noticing that Tsuna had arrived home Sawada Nana stormed over to her son with an intense look in her eye. All the signs indicate to Tsuna that he is about to get in a lot of trouble, did he forget to feed the cat?

"Ah mother" Tsuna greets Nana, arms open as if preparing to embrace her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were involved with all this mafia stuff" yells Nana, loud enough for the Vongola to be concerned about her being overheard. "Dying will flames and fighting and…" she continued on a rant before eventually running out of breath.

"So dad told you then" notes the next Vongola boss, "I promise from now on I'm not going to hid anything from you". Now that his mother knows everything it's a great relief to Tsuna, he didn't want her to be involved in this world but keeping it a secret was highly stressful.

"You better not" Nana says with a clearly threatening tone in her voice.

As if looking for something to tell his mother Tsuna looks at Dokuro. "Mother, I would like you to meet my fiancée, Chrome Dokuro".

Wanting to be as polite as ever, Dokuro bowed to her future mother-in-law, "Pleased to meet you Mrs Sawada".

"Fiancée?" exclaims Nana, the revelation is rather shocking given Tsuna's difficult time after Kyoko's death. Nana had never even met this woman.

"It is necessary to be married before becoming Vongola 10th" explains Tsuna, "So the two of us were kind of thrown together, I could have done a lot worse don't you think".

"Yeah" mutters Nana, impressed with how well-mannered Dokuro is behaving.

"I've not done too badly either" smiles Dokuro.

"Dokuro is also my mist guardian" Tsuna points out, "And right now the two of us are going to meet her mother, right?".

"Right" nods Dokuro.

After making a few arrangements to meet later with his family Tsuna leaves with Dokuro, the two heading into the city to meet her mother. Tsuna had met the family of Ryohei, Gokudera and Yamamoto, as well as being family with Lambo this meant that he had visited the families of all his guardians except Dokuro and Hibari. Meeting Hibari's family would be a novelty. _'I wonder if they are all like him'_ Tsuna thinks to himself.

 **An apartment complex in Tokyo**

Tsuna continued to follow Dokuro's lead to this point. The apartment complex is a very tall building and the doors between the apartments are enough to show how small each of them are. _'Could you even fit a bedroom and a bathroom'_ Tsuna questions.

Dokuro interrupts her partner's thoughts. "Here we are" she says as she picks up a key from underneath a plant pot. "I tell her not to put it here" begins Dokuro as she struggles with the lock, "Someday someone is going to steal it and break in".

After managing to pry open the door the purple haired mist guardian leads Tsuna into an open room with two doors leading from it. Tsuna assumed these doors lead to a bedroom and a bathroom.

As Dokuro headed into one of the doors Tsuna was left to look at the apartment. Paint was clearly peeling off the walls and the one window had mould growing around it. It was cold and damp, to think someone had to live here was horrible. It didn't get better, there was a camp cooking set on the floor of this naked room, could this really be the only kitchen that Dokuro's mother used?

Dokuro leaves the bedroom to see Tsuna's shocked expression. "Sorry it's not much, it's very small and it's hard to even sustain one person".

"The cooking equipment is a camp cooking set, aren't there even any surfaces" asks Tsuna who has clearly been upset that someone has to live in these conditions.

Tsuna had always thought that Dokuro slept in Kokuyo Junior High School for the sake of being close to Ken and Chikusa, he now realised that this wasn't the case, she slept there because there wasn't enough room here.

A small squeak could be heard approaching Tsuna and Dokuro, horrified by the implications the next Vongola Boss began thinking to himself, _'that noise, she couldn't possibly be'._ Deciding not to speculate anymore and simply to look, he was greeted by the sight he feared most, a wheelchair.

"Dokuro" the wheelchair bound lady opened her arms to the mist guardian.

"Mother" replied Dokuro as she hugged her last remaining relative.

' _She has to live with conditions like this when she is disabled'_ Tsuna says to himself. Disgusted that the world could force such hardships onto innocent people.

"Tsuna, this is my mother Chrome Hino" Dokuro makes the introduction.

"Pleased to meet you Mrs Chrome" Tsuna says as he bows, thinking it best to show the same level of etiquette as Dokuro had earlier upon meeting his own mother.

"Please just call me Hino" requests the mother as she extends an open hand to Tsuna.

"Well then it's good to meet you Hino" remarks the mafioso as he shakes the hand of his fiancée's last family member.

"What a nice young man, how do you know my daughter then" asks Hino.

Knowing Tsuna would feel awkward explaining it after just meeting her mother Dokuro takes on the job of explaining. "Mum, Tsuna and I are engaged, he's the one who took me to Italy".

"Engaged, oh so you found a man after all this time" teases Hino, clearly delighted seeing as her daughter had always been so prudent.

"MUM" yells Dokuro with a blush on her face.

"So do you live in a big house" Hino shamelessly enquires.

"Not yet but we're moving into one after we get married" responds Tsuna, _'if you call the Vongola mansion a house'._

"Oh wonderful, you've finally made it Dokuro" beams Hino as if she is about to stand up and dance. "When is the wedding?".

That question stumped Tsuna, he had never thought of that, "Actually it's being arranged for us by workmates so we don't know".

"By workmates, how strange" says Hino.

"Of course they are going to check that you can make it well in advance" Tsuna reassures Hino.

"How kind of them, I will really look forward to it".

Hino, Dokuro and Tsuna spend a few hours talking about their 'holiday' in Italy. Many of the details were exaggerated or fabricated but the point got across. As the sun set in the sky it was time for the happy couple to depart.

 **In the streets of Tokyo**

As Tsuna and Dokuro walked back towards their respective residences, the former decided to address the elephant in the room.

"I didn't know your mother had a disability" he begins.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you" replies Dokuro.

"Don't worry about it, I assume she doesn't know you're homeless" Tsuna questions.

Dokuro just nods with a glum look her face. "That was the only place she could afford with the money she has, it's really bad and it's only enough for one person" she explains. "I told her I was going to stay with friends, then I had the accident and met Mukuro".

"After becoming boss I will make sure she is given some better accommodation" promises the chestnut haired man.

"Really" exclaims Dokuro, "you would really do that?".

"Of course, you are my fiancée, I have to look after your family" says Tsuna. "And your mist guardian and before that you're my friend, I won't let those around suffer".

"Thank you… thank you… thank you" chants Dokuro as she childishly hugs her fiancée.

"It's OK" smiles Tsuna, "As for tonight, do you have anywhere to stay".

Dokuro is surprised at being asked this, nobody has ever expressed true concern at her lack of a home. "I can stay at Kokuyo like normal".

"You know that's not what I meant" Tsuna says quite aggressively, "I can sleep on Lambo's floor tonight, you can have my room" he offers doing his best to be the gentleman.

"Really… no I couldn't, Ken and Chikusa" begins Dokuro.

Tsuna interrupted, "I have a few spare sheets, the three of you could stay in there". He laughed to himself as his mother came into his mind, "I don't know what my mother will say but I'm sure between my father and I we can convince her".

"Thank you so much" says Dokuro as a tear begins to form in her eye.

Tsuna wipes the tear away as he hugs his fiancée. "Stop thanking me, you're paying for our next meal".

"I will" laughed Dokuro.


	24. I Love Baseball

**BECOMING THE BOSS – I LOVE BASEBALL**

 **The Sawada Residence**

A few months had passed since Tsuna had met his mother-in-law. It had been slightly awkward at first but the Sawada family had gotten used to the presence of the Kokuyo Junior High gang. Chikusa had been highly grateful for a warm place to sleep and he did his best to keep his partner's attitude as polite as possible.

Nana took to the newcomers surprisingly well, heartbroken at the sad stories of Ken and Chikusa's pasts. She welcomed them as if they were her own children. It was a good thing when Tsuna thought about it, the Kokuyo Junior High gang were now all members of the Vongola family, it was his duty to protect them.

That day a visitor had come to the Sawada residence, an enthusiastic man who had recently left his job as a sushi chef. This man was Yamamoto Takeshi, flanked as ever by his teacher Byakuran (though nobody could see him).

"Hello" greets Yamamoto as he removes his shoes upon entering the house.

"It's good to see you Yamamoto" replies Tsuna, happy as ever that his easy going friend was dropping by.

"Chrome is living with you now… congratulations" says Yamamoto, happy that his two friends were progressing well with their relationship. "And Ken and Chikusa" he sweatdrops.

"Hello" Chikusa opts to keep his speech as plain as ever.

"Why are you here?" asks Ken

"Ken, he's a guest, you're supposed to greet him politely" remarks Chikusa.

"Oh right" Ken panics, suddenly remembering that he had to be well mannered, "It's nice to see you Mr Yamamoto".

Yamamoto laughs at Ken's attempt to be polite but appreciates the gesture, he thinks back to the beginning when the two of them fought in his first battle. Back then he thought this was all a mafia game, how wrong could he have been?

"So as to why I've come here" says Yamamoto as he walks into the room. "I want to invite you all to my next game".

"Game?" Iemitsu lets the world slip out of his mouth.

"Don't you watch TV dear" Nana questions her husband, "Yamamoto is a hugely successful baseball player".

Since reuniting with his senior, Sasagawa Ryohei, in the ring contest, Yamamoto has thrown himself fully into the baseball world. After showing more dedication to the sport it was only natural, given the rain guardian's abilities, that he would become a huge success. Not only had he done that but he had become a regular in the team, the fastest emerging player in history.

"Thanks for your praise" responds Yamamoto, "The team have made it all the way to the final, I would be really guys came to cheer me on". He hands out the tickets to his friends, knowing they wouldn't miss it. "There's seven tickets".

Tsuna smiles as he holds the ticket, he could never have imagined this before he met Reborn. "Of course we will be there Yamamoto".

Byakuran floats beside his host. _"You have such good friends don't you"._

"Are any of the others going" enquires the soon to be 10th.

"Well I asked Hibari, he said 'sports don't interest me herbivore'". Yamamoto does his best Hibari impression forcing a laugh out of Tsuna and Dokuro.

"As for Gokudera he said 'I hate sports you damn baseball nut'".

Dokuro probes further, "Will Sasagawa be going".

"Oh he will be there" Yamamoto says, "he loves sports, he's the world champion too so he's a big star".

"I believe his exact words were, 'I'll be there to watch you take baseball to the extreme'" laughs the batter.

Suddenly he recalls, "Oh that's right… I brought some Sushi".

After eating together Yamamoto left the Sasagawa residence. _'It gets crazier every time'_ he thinks to himself. That house will always hold fond memories for him, unfortunately in future the family would likely be gathering in more formal circumstances. Even mafioso had responsibilities.

 **A few weeks later, Yamamoto's Team's Baseball Stadium**

Excitement was building before the big game. A lot of the home team's hopes were placed on their breakout star Yamamoto Takeshi. Very few people truly knew the depths of his power though. Some of those who did were sat in the middle row.

"It's a good view" says Dokuro causing Tsuna to nod.

The two relax for a moment but Tsuna is used to this situation by now. _'It won't last at a Vongola family gathering, it never does'_ , he was right. A multitude of camera flashes blinded the chestnut haired man. A significant commotion to his left almost disturbing to the peace he had just a moment ago.

What could possibly cause such a racket, only the arrival of one of sport's biggest stars, the world boxing champion. As Ryohei tried to fight through the crowds Gokudera Hayato had an easy job of approaching his boss.

"10th" yells Gokudera as enthusiastic as always.

"Gokudera" Tsuna starts, clearly surprised someone who referred to Yamamoto as a 'baseball nut' had bothered to show up. "What are you doing here" he asked as Gokudera took his seat.

The storm guardian takes on a pained expression, "I've always loved baseball" he says.

' _His lying is so obvious but I don't want to tell him'_ the senior Sawada brother says in his head.

"He's doing his best for his family" says Reborn from behind Tsuna.

"WHERE DID YOU COME FROM" screams Tsuna. Reborn had a tendency of showing up when you least expected him, perhaps it should be easier to anticipate by now.

"We got some free tickets" explains Dino, not bothering to introduce himself as Tsuna notices for the first time that he is sitting next to Reborn.

"You too" mutters Tsuna as he looks to the seats in front of him, "WHY ARE THE VARIA HERE?".

Not bothering to answer the boss' question, Belphegor simply turns to Mammon, "Mammon, those illusory tickets were genius".

"Your praise humbles me" replies to Arcobaleno.

"Do I look alright" asks Lussuria.

Unbothered by what his subordinates are doing, Xanxus turns to Squalo, "You are supposed to know the rules to baseball right, isn't it supposed to be entertaining".

"Well Yamamoto explained the rules to me, it seemed alright" responds the swordsman.

Tsuna is horrified as he notes that the assassination squad are wearing their uniforms. _'They all look really out of place'._

"EXTREME HIT, EXTREME HIT, EXTREME HIT" yells Ryohei repeatedly, getting into the game as only a sports enthusiast could.

' _At least he belongs in this environment'_ Tsuna realises, taking a sigh of relief. His relief didn't last long however.

Ryohei had turned his attention to his fellow guardian, "That's it Gokudera, EXTREME HIT".

"EXTREME HIT, EXTREME HIT, EXTREME HIT" Gokudera joined the sun guardian in the chant.

The boss cringed watching his out of place right-hand man, _'Please don't encourage him big brother'._

 **In the changing rooms**

Yamamoto is getting into his uniform, ready for the most important game of his young career. Years ago Squalo told him that he would have to choose between mastering the sword and mastering baseball, the most difficult choice he would ever have to make. Currently though, Yamamoto was perhaps the most revered swordsman on the planet and was a famous baseball player. He had proven Squalo wrong.

" _All your friends are here to watch you know"_ Byakuran emerges next to Yamamoto and informs him.

Horrified by the presence now of all times Yamamoto can't hold himself back, he yells aloud, "DON'T WATCH ME GETTING DRESSED".

It takes a moment for the former chef to realise what he had done. The entire room was looking at him, yelling at nothing, right before the biggest match in his life.

"Sorry, I'm a bit nervous for the big match" apologises Yamamoto, causing everyone to go back to what they were doing.

" _Stop making such a fool of yourself"_ chastises Byakuran.

" _Honestly, when do you get your own body"_ asks Yamamoto. For Byakuran to return to a body would first require one to be available. The only chance that had presented itself was to take Mukuro's body and that would have simply been disrespectful.

" _I don't know"_ Byakuran honestly replies, _"You could always kill someone and then I could…"._

" _Of course I can't do that"_ interrupts the rain guardian, shuddering at the thought.

" _Then in the meantime, I get to watch you dress"_ giggle the Millefiore family boss.

" _You're such a pervert"_ moans the batter.

" _I know when to avert my gaze"_ Byakuran assures his host with a voice that implies his previous jokes should have been taken in better spirit.

" _I wish I had as much confidence in your gaze as you do"_ replies Yamamoto as he began to wonder just how often Byakuran had been looking at him.

" _Come on, the game starts soon, I want to see a big hit every time"_ demands Byakuran. He never understood the rules of baseball before. After spending three months trapped in the body of a professional player you learn the rules whether you want to or not.

" _Of course"_ promises Yamamoto, _"Big hits are my specialty"._

 **Yamamoto is at bat**

The game had progressed tightly until this point; the home team was doing well in keeping up with the away team. The emergence of Yamamoto was what everyone had been waiting for. Cheers and chants filled the stadium at the emergence of the star.

Yamamoto reached the batter box and loosened his shoulders a bit before squaring himself to the batter. He had to at least look like he was struggling, so he opted to deliberately miss the first strike and tactfully avoid the succeeding pair of balls.

"Here he goes" yells Nana as the fourth ball looks like a golden opportunity for a big hit.

"Hit it to the extreme" yells Ryohei.

As the pitcher threw the ball it confirmed everyone's suspicions, the ball was heading straight for the strike zone. Yamamoto had expected this more than anyone else, he swung his body and the bat in perfect unison, a trick he picked up while studying the sword. The ball flew into the crowd; it was a home run.

The crowd erupted at the spectacular hit, they had become used to seeing this from their star player but it never became less special. "He did it" says Tsuna as he punches the air.

"Another home run" Dokuro smiles, happy for her fellow guardian and good friend.

"Yamamoto is so cool" Lambo declares as he leaps about.

"EXTREME HIT" yells Gokudera, not quite knowing how to fit in.

"Unlike someone" says Lambo as his face sours following the chant.

"Ah, I'll kill you, stupid cow" Gokudera announces as he wrestles with the youngster.

' _How embarrassing'_ Tsuna says to himself as he looks at his family. It would be nice if for once someone shared his embarrassment, then he noticed that someone did. Dokuro was hiding herself in the same way he always did. It shouldn't be a likeable habit but Tsuna couldn't help but feel close to his fiancée seeing her do this, he was truly happy.

"Is that a good thing Chikusa" Ken asks, seeming genuinely interested in the workings of the game.

"Yeah, it means the local team have tied it up" explains Chikusa.

"The game is a bit boring at the moment, Mammon, spice it up a bit" orders Xanxus of his illusionist.

"Yes boss, I'll make at interesting watch" promises the money obsessed youngster.

Tsuna cries in shock, turning to Reborn he asks, "What is he going to do?".

Not bothering to answer Tsuna's question Reborn replies, "As boss it's your job to stop it" before he returns to watching the match.

"Don't worry Tsuna" offers Dokuro, "I will even out any affect he has on the game".

"Please try to do it subtly Dokuro" asks Tsuna, knowing that there is very little chance of that happening.

Yamamoto is at bat once again. Second base and third base are loaded, two runs down, if he hits a home run here then they win the championship. _'No pressure then'_ Yamamoto thinks to himself in an unusual sarcastic manner.

" _Good luck"_ says Byakuran, offering a thumbs up to his student.

" _Thank you"_ replies the batter, _"All my hard work has been for this moment, I will give you a good show"._

" _Be sure you do"_ requests the white haired ghost.

As the pitcher winds up to throw it could be understood if he was nervous. If he lets a home run go here it's all over and his opponent is Yamamoto Takeshi, the best hitter around. As he steps forward to prepare to throw he suddenly sees something he never expected, a monster.

"AHH MONSTER" yells the pitcher as he stumbles backwards.

Suddenly looking down into his hand the pitcher witnessed something else he never expected to see, the ball was gone, instead was a grenade. Desperately trying to discard the weapon the pitcher threw it towards Yamamoto. The grenade was an illusion though, what he had actually thrown was the ball.

This was an easy hit, it would go out of the arena, Yamamoto had this. It was a ball he could hit every time under normal circumstances, but these weren't normal circumstances. The image of the ball his eyes delivered to his brain was replaced, instead what he was looking at was the face of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"Tsuna?" Yamamoto asks comically.

Seeing no other way to make him hit the ball, Dokuro opts to possess Yamamoto using the powers left to her by Byakuran. Despite having a melee weapon, Dokuro is far from adept at the use of it, as a result she only manages an outfield fly, thankfully away from any fielders.

"I hit it?" questions Yamamoto.

"RUN YAMAMOTO" screams Ryohei, who has a few suspicions about what is going on.

"GO FOR IT" yells Nana, who has absolutely no idea.

As Yamamoto runs Xanxus stands up and laughs, "Now this is entertainment" he says as he spreads his arms out before him as if presenting the match.

As Mammon projects various obstacles to the running rain guardian, Yamamoto dodges them one at a time, going through the most turbulent run of any batter in history. The former chef had one advantage though, he was fast, faster than should be possible for a baseball player.

As Yamamoto approaches the home he spots a fielder who is running to the mound ahead of him. _'Crap, I'm not going to make it'_ he thinks to himself.

A pleasant surprise awaited Yamamoto though as the fielder tripped on his path to the home plate. The runner smiles and says _'Thank you'_ in his head as he spots a vine retreating into the ground, Dokuro was behind this.

Thanks to the interference from the mist guardian, Yamamoto had made it around all the way to home. "WE WON" he cheers as he throws his hat into the air and joins his teammates in celebrating. He had just caused the biggest turn around for any team in baseball history.

"Lambo is confused but that was cool" remarks the younger Sawada brother.

"What happened just there" asks Gokudera.

Reborn leans forward to speak in Tsuna's ear, "Yamamoto won Tsuna".

"Yeah, they are champions of Japan" replies Tsuna with a smile wide across his face, "they won somehow…".

 **In the streets of Outer Tokyo**

Tsuna and Dokuro were walking home hand in hand, laughing about a story he had told of little Tsu's adventures. They had separated from the others after the game and had instead opted to go out for a meal, true to her word Dokuro had paid this time.

There evening was interrupted though when Kyoko stepped into their path. "I had to see it to believe it" she commented, removing the smiles from the couple's face's. "Was that all it took, a pretty face to make you move on from me?".

"Kyoko…" begins Tsuna.

"I knew you were a bastard; we were engaged" began the kickboxer. "And then the next thing that is pretty comes along and…".

"THAT'S ENOUGH" yells Tsuna, angrier than either woman was used to seeing him.

"You don't have to" says Dokuro.

"Dokuro is someone important to me, just like you were back then" explains Tsuna, ignoring Dokuro's warning and deciding to justify their relationship. "I love Dokuro and I'm going to get married to her, if you don't like it then it's too bad".

"You're just going to have to live with it" says Tsuna as he lowers his voice.

A moments silence passes before a gentle gust of wind seems to blow in the sheltered area. Naturally this couldn't have been wind, it was the high speed movement of Tsuna's last opponent, Vongola Bana.

"Kyoko, leave them in peace, your circumstances are not their fault" says Bana, reminding his subordinate that the stories differed depending on who you asked.

"Where is my justice" asks Kyoko, "That's all I care about" she says before walking, hand in pocket, in the opposite direction.

Looking at Tsuna, Bana adopted an apologetic expression before chasing after his friend. At the end of the day they had hurt Kyoko, intentional or not and as her boss that meant he couldn't apologise to them.

"Tsuna, you said you loved me, you don't say that enough" remarks Dokuro.

"I always thought it was fairly obvious" smiles Tsuna.

"It just feels really nice to hear you say it" Dokuro shyly remarks, clearly looking for him to say it again.

Tsuna was more than happy to oblige his fiancée, "I love you Chrome Dokuro" he says before gently kissing her.

"I love you too Tsuna" she replies.


	25. A Place to Call Home

**BECOMING THE BOSS – A PLACE TO CALL HOME**

 **The local airport**

One month had passed since the baseball game; things had progressed smoothly. Tsuna and Dokuro continued to grow closer together and the latter has become increasingly confident around her soon to be family. Bringing a smile to Dokuro's face was a challenge that Tsuna gave himself every minute of every day and he was mostly very good at it.

Tsuna was here waiting for his boss, the 9th. Soon he would be replacing the previous Vongola boss but there were certain formalities that had to be sorted out first. One such formality was the integration of the inheritance ceremony into the wedding.

Being here on official business which included his own wedding meant that the chestnut haired man had some strange company with him. He brought along those who were relevant to the wedding, Dokuro, his mother and his father. His father was attending for two purposes, one as the father, one as the leader of CEDEF. As the leader of CEDEF Iemitsu had endeavoured to bring Basil to the meeting. Lastly the final leader of the next generation Vongola family, the Varia boss, Xanxus.

It was autumn at the moment, a beautiful season. Past the runway the leaves could be seen tumbling from the trees. A kaleidoscope of colour scattered the horizon, conditions like this always made Tsuna thankful for what he had. Peace never lasts however, _'A fight even harder than the last one will be coming soon'_ Tsuna thinks to himself. Before the 10th generation boss could get to deep into the thought he was greeted by the arrival of his predecessor.

Iemitsu nudged his son to indicate that he should speak up. "Welcome to Japan 9th" Tsuna greets the staff wielder.

"It's good to be here 10th" returns the 9th, smiling as he does so. It's become a habit of the 9th to refer to his counterpart as the 10th, he enjoys it in the knowledge that he will soon be relieved of duty.

"I've come to discuss your wedding arrangements" continues Xanxus father before he starts as he looks at the approaching woman. "Nana…." he begins.

"All those years ago, why didn't you tell me you were mafioso" demands the mother.

"Ah I didn't think it was a good idea" begins the 9th, "I wasn't sure you would trust me in the same house as your son, besides you know I'm not a bad person right?".

Nana harrumphs before replying, "Fine but you're on notice" she says without showing the fear that history has deemed customary when talking to a mafia boss.

"Understood" smiles the 9th.

Iemitsu laughed from behind his wife. "You got off lightly, you should have seen the scolding I got" he remarks, being on the island with Bana was terrifying but that was nothing compared to the mother of his children berating him.

"Uhm, Mr 9th" says Dokuro, trying to draw his attention.

"Yes" he replies.

"My mother doesn't know anything about us being in the mafia" she says, not wanting Hino to be exposed to the terrible world they live in. Even though her fiancée manages to make her smile it's always worth remembering this world is horrendous, Mukuro even made the claim he went to 'hell'.

"It's not a problem, we will go with the usual alias, we are all co-workers at a call centre" explains the 9th. The story has been carefully considered by many experts in the Vongola family, it is the easiest story to improvise in any situation and the roles in the centre can reflect their roles in the family. It was the Vongola's 'perfect' alibi.

"Don't answer any questions unless you are forced to" suggests the elder gentleman. Giving simple answers means you are less likely to have a contradiction in your story. "Besides, I'm sure she will be more excited to hear about her daughter's wedding".

Smiling as he turned towards his son, the 9th asked, "Xanxus, is the construction complete?".

"Yes, it's a perfect replica" replies Xanxus.

"What are you talking about" asks Tsuna, thinking he should have heard about any construction work the family is undertaking.

"We've had a copy of the Vongola mansion built in Japan" replies the 9th who has a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Tsuna's hyper intuition said that the 9th was hiding something, maybe related to his regret but he didn't quite understand what it was. If the 9th wanted it to be a secret though, the 10th considered it best left that way.

"You should be around your guardians; therefore, we are moving all major Vongola assets to Japan" explains Tsuna's teacher.

"Wow" responds Tsuna, "That's good thinking, I'm really grateful".

The group continued to discuss the logistics of moving all the Vongola assets to Japan. The 9th had put in a lot of work behind the scenes. Xanxus had been instrumental in the process it seemed, clearly he and his father were getting closer and closer, something that brought great relief to Tsuna. When they had finished they head into the city towards the apartment of Chrome Hino.

 **Hino's Flat**

Since he had last come here Tsuna had purchased a vast array of custom made furniture to improve Hino's lifestyle. It had clearly made a big difference, the woman was looking a lot happier and a lot healthier as she brought some tea to her visitors.

"So you are Dokuro's boss at work" she asks the 9th.

"That is correct" replies the mafia boss.

"Pleased to meet you, I am her mother, Chrome Hino" says the wheelchair bound woman as she bows slightly.

"It's good to finally meet you" agrees the 9th, "I am here to discuss your daughter's wedding" he smiles.

"Oh the wedding, I'm really looking forward to it" replies Hino. Having only met him a few times Tsuna had improved her life immensely and clearly her daughter loved the young man. Naturally Hino was delighted they would be wed soon.

The 9th hands Hino a very expensive looking envelope, "This is the invitation he says, please check to make sure the venue and date are appropriate".

As Hino opens the invitation she never loses her smile, "This is all fine by me, the location is very fancy, you're very lucky Dokuro" she tells her child.

"Yes" replies the mist guardian.

"Hino" says Nana to get her attention, "We're Tsuna's parents, I'm Nana and this is my husband Iemitsu, it's good to meet you". Nana and Iemitsu took turns shaking Hino's hand.

"I'm pleased to meet you both as well" says Hino, "You've raised your son very well, he seems like a lovely young man".

"Thank you" replies Nana, pleased as always to hear that her son was no longer being thought of as no-good Tsuna.

"So does your daughter" Iemitsu compliments. "A young woman that is, she's not a man" he continues as he stumbles over his own words.

Sensing his master's awkwardness Basil changes the subject. "Mrs Chrome please look at these detail" he requests as he puts some documents before Dokuro's mother.

Hino's mood continues to improve as she reads through the documents, "My-my, is this the house you are going to be living in Dokuro, it's amazing" she comments.

"That's not it Mrs Chrome" Basil interrupts, "This is the house you're going to be moving into".

"Me" asks Hino as her expression changes from joy to shock, never did she expect these people to sort out her living arrangements.

"Tsuna and Dokuro are going to succeed me as the people who run the company" explains the 9th, "Of course we look after relatives as well, I hope you enjoy your new home".

The moment is emotional enough to cause Hino to cry, "thank you so much" she sobs as she can't hold back her own tears.

Dokuro hugs Tsuna, she knew in advance that this had been arranged for her mother but she is still incredibly grateful. "Thank you" she whispers in his ear while she continues to cling to him.

A few moments pass before she reminds her soon-to-be husband, "Don't you have an important meeting soon".

"Oh yes, I better go, I will leave you to discuss the rest of the arrangements" yells Tsuna as he runs from the apartment, not wanting to be late.

 **A Restaurant**

It was at the restaurant Tsuna had chosen to meet his colleague. The second strongest mafioso in the Vongola family, Vongola Bana. It had always been noted by Kyoko that Tsuna looked very similar to Vongola Primo, therefore the resemblance between Tsuna and Bana was significant to people sat around them. Some people looked down on Bana for 'bleaching his hair' unlike his twin.

' _Can't they see I'm of European descent?'_ Bana questions in his head.

"So how are your guardians doing" asks Tsuna.

"We're OK" his subordinate replies, "except…".

"Kyoko and Haru" guesses Tsuna.

Without bothering to confirm the guess Bana continues, "The evil part of my personality got to the two of them most of all". This confirms Tsuna's fears, it meant that the guardians relationship with Kyoko and Haru would be truly difficult to mend.

"But what strikes me as strange is that your people confirmed them dead" explains the blonde haired man, "That must have been some kind of setup".

"Yeah" agrees the 10th. "Perhaps the people Mukuro was trying to warn us against".

Bana nods to his boss. He partly feels guilty, while he had no recollection of their faces and doesn't associate with those who created him anymore, he is still a being of their design, of their creation. While Primo was the source of his good half it would seem these people were the source of his evil.

"So what are you doing about Kyoko and Haru" enquires Tsuna.

"I'm encouraging them to meet old relations" he explains, "Kyoko seems to be quite violent towards her brother but they are getting somewhere".

"And Haru" prompts the elder of the two.

"She and Gokudera scream at each-other a lot" he comments with a vacant expression on his face.

Tsuna laughs, "That's alright, that's all they did before".

"Yeah" mutters Bana, he guessed as much, "Haru struck me as a strong willed person the moment I met her".

Tsuna looks his new found friend in the eyes, "You can ask me if you need help with anything you know".

"Ask for help?" questions the younger.

"No matter what crime you have committed, no matter what atrocities you have performed, you are still Vongola" Tsuna comforts Bana, knowing that the latter feels guilty about everything that has happened between the two. "In a few weeks I will be your boss after all".

"Thanks" smiles Bana, "You're not a bad guy Tsuna".

"Nor you Bana".


	26. Buy me a Suit

**BECOMING THE BOSS – BUY ME A SUIT**

 **A Busy Street in Central Tokyo**

The street was as busy as ever, people rushing backwards and forwards from their job, absent minded about the world around them. One person was forever vigilant about the world around him however, that person was the Hitman Tutor Reborn. Reborn was here today walking alongside his much taller student Dino.

"Why are we here?" asks Dino, previously he had been planning a party with his subordinates. Although they weren't technically members of the Vongola family, the Chiavarone family was under their protection. It was a big deal for them that Tsuna was going to become the new boss, especially since he and Dino were so close.

"I need a new suit for Tsuna's wedding" remarks Reborn with a childish smile on his face.

"Why are you making me do this then" enquires the bucking bronco, "It's Tsuna's wedding, go bother him about it".

"He is busy with his duties as the next boss" the child replies, "I can't be bothering him". Of course Tsuna's wedding is in the forefront of the young boss' mind but the running of the world's strongest mafia had to come first. Who knows what they would get up to without his guidance.

"I'm already a boss and you're bothering me" criticises Dino who had been a boss since long before Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"He's a more important boss than you" Reborn comments flatly.

"You don't hold back do you" Dino complains as he hangs his head in shame. What do these people make of a child talking down to a fully grown man?

Reborn frowns as he elaborates on Dino's presence, "I would do it myself but nobody accepts the money when a child tries to buy a suit".

"That's quite funny" laughs the blonde haired boss.

Suddenly the duo stops when they hear a faint voice behind them. "Mr Reborn" the voice cries, "MR REBORN".

Dino is the first to recognise the source of this voice. "Enma" he says with a surprised undertone, what was the Shimon family boss doing here.

"What's wrong Enma" asks Reborn.

As Enma finishes his run towards the two of them he is seemingly ignorant of the stares he is receiving from onlookers. The young boss leans on his own knees as he takes a moment to catch his breath.

"A fight of great power is approaching" explains Enma, "I can feel it".

Dino adopts a solemn expression following this reminder. With the talk of a wedding it was easy to forget that the Vongola had an enemy hidden in the dark. If the Vongola had an enemy that meant that the Shimon, the Millefiore and the Chiavarone had that same enemy.

"The fight Mukuro warned us about is coming" continues Enma, "So please, train me to use the ultimate flame". Enma asks this with great sincerity. Learning the ultimate flame is a truly difficult task, Reborn has only ever witnessed it being used by two people, Tsuna and Bana, the mightiest of this generation.

Despite the difficulty of the task Reborn gives a simple answer, "Oh… alright" he says.

"As easy as that" yells Dino he almost loses his balance. Enma was a very similar fighter to Tsuna, the two both used the hyper dying will flame and greatly cared for their subordinates. If anyone could learn the ultimate flame it was Enma but teaching it was no easy task. Only two people had successfully 'taught' the flame. Vongola Primo and the Hitman Tutor Reborn.

"On one condition" says Reborn raising the tension surrounding the conversation.

"What is it" Enma stammers, "I'm willing to do anything".

"Buy me a tailor made suit" requests the young shopper.

"A suit?" questions Enma, shocked that Reborn wasn't going to request something more strenuous from him. "Of course it's done, we'll go right now".

"Excellent, then you will be the new student of the Hitman Tutor Reborn" proclaims the mafioso.

Dino suddenly smiles widely, "Perfect, you can take him shopping then" he says as he begins to walk away from the undesirable distraction. "Good luck Shimon, you will need it".

 **A Restaurant**

Sawada Tsunayoshi and his fiancée Chrome Dokuro had been regulars at this restaurant recently. Dokuro had said that she was particularly fond of the references to the cultural history of Japan, something Tsuna didn't know she was interested in. Perhaps one day when he retired from being the 10th they would have opportunity to explore culture more.

The reason that these two were at the restaurant presently was because they were meeting their wedding planner. The mafia worlds current leader, the 9th Vongola boss. The man had taken the lead role in arranging what would happen when they were married, he had been a great support to them both throughout the hole process.

"Now that the arrangement is done on our side it is up to you" explains the 9th.

Seeing that the 10th generation members were confused he decides to elaborate further, "Elements like the guest list, chief bride's maid and the best man, also you will need someone to walk you down the aisle in the absence of your father Chrome".

"Arranging a wedding sure is awkward" sighs the bride-to-be.

"We should be thankful that's all we have to do" consoles Tsuna, "Imagine having to pick a venue and such as well". Tsuna had never been particularly good at admin nor was he very intelligent, Dokuro's experiences in life also meant she lacked in this department.

"Yeah" replies the purple haired guardian, "Than you for all you have done 9th".

"It's fine don't worry about it" smiles the 9th, "I'm looking forward to my retirement but don't forget you can always ask me for advice Tsuna". Retirement is an exciting prospect but the 9th knows in his heart he won't completely leave the mafia world, there is a difference between going into retirement and getting bored.

"Of course I'm sure you won't need any advice; you will be a great boss" the 9th compliments Tsuna.

"Thank you very much 9th" says the 10th, "I think I am quite lucky really" he continues before looking lovingly at Dokuro, "I have such great guardians who look after me".

"Yeah, you do" agrees the 9th.

Tsuna, Dokuro and the 9th all say farewell to each other before going their separate ways, Tsuna to talk to his guardians, Dokuro to arrange certain elements of the wedding and the 9th to continue the process of transitioning power to his successor.

 **Tsuna's Bedroom**

Dokuro, Ken and Chikusa had been sleeping in here recently but Tsuna had insisted that they clean the room for his meeting with his guardians. Something they hadn't done in years brought a great feeling of nostalgia to the 6 who had gathered, Ryohei, Lambo, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Hibari and Tsuna.

The first subject Tsuna wanted to bring up was his wedding which everyone was clearly excited for. "You are all close friends to me but you are also my guardians, so that I'm treating you equally I'm not going to ask any of you to be my best man" declares Tsuna. It's only fair that he treats all of his subordinates equally. Although they officially are his subordinates Tsuna had always considered them his equals, the relationships he shared with his friends were his most valuable treasure.

"However you are all invited of course" smiles Tsuna as he hands out invitations to the guardians.

"Don't worry 10th" requests Gokudera with his usual aplomb, "We'll make sure nobody interferes with your wedding".

Panicking at his right-hand-man's over-the-top attitude caused Tsuna to quickly yell back to Gokudera, "Please don't throw any bombs, Dokuro's mother doesn't even know we're mafia". There would be nothing worse than having to explain this in the middle of the service. To say the least, it might sour the mood.

"I will force him to behave to the extreme" Ryohei promises to his sworn brother.

"You're the last person I want to hear tell me that" remarks Gokudera, noting that Ryohei is probably the only person in the room to be louder than him. There was however, one more contender for that title.

"Lambo will get a nice suit" the child declares with his usual obnoxious whiny voice.

"I better help you with that" smiles Yamamoto as he gestures to try and calm Lambo down.

"Lambo doesn't need any help" replies the younger brother of Tsuna.

"Well" begins Yamamoto, "I think it would be better if you didn't show up in a cow suit".

Failing to be amused by this back and forth of words the cloud guardian, Hibari Kyoya rose to his feet and headed for the door.

Tsuna moves quickly to question the policeman, "Hibari, will you be there" he asks, full of hope that his usually introverted friend will make an exception and show up to this public gathering.

Hibari pauses for a moment and replies, "I will register people's names as they enter and make sure nobody undesirable turns up". Before explaining himself to his peers, Hibari then left, leaving silence in his wake.

Interrupting the silence Yamamoto concludes that this answer meant Hibari was going to show up, "I think that was a yes".

"It was about as much of a yes as I can get from Hibari" sighs Tsuna, "As for the people I would like each of you to bring". Tsuna pulls out a list with some badly drawn diagrams on it, he may have worked hard in the education system but he was no genius when it came to organisation.

"Big brother, you can ask Kyoko but it would probably be best if she kept away" suggests Tsuna, entrusting the decision to her brother.

"I will handle the situation with care" replies the sun guardian in a way that is unusually tame for the professional athlete who gives everything 110%.

"Lambo, well you can bring I-Pin if you want" says Tsuna, not wanting his little brother to be the only one without guests to bring. Also he naturally wanted I-Pin to come to his wedding, she was a member of the family too.

"Lambo will bring some really call guests" proclaims the thunder guardian. Nobody quite knew what he meant but they were all confident that Hibari would dispose of anyone who shouldn't have been there.

"Gokudera, your sister and Shamal are invited, and if Haru… well it's the same as Kyoko" Tsuna hesitates. He never should have been put in a situation where he struggles to invite two of his closest friends to his wedding but the world is a cruel place.

"I understand 10th" Gokudera replies.

"Yamamoto, your parents are invited" Tsuna informs his cheerful friend.

"My father's doing the catering, the 9th asked him" explains the swordsman.

"I thought as much" smiles Tsuna, why wouldn't Yamamoto's father do the catering, after all everyone enjoyed his food. Hopefully Bianci won't try any more cooking. That's just one more thing that could happen at this wedding.

' _I'm marrying Dokuro'_ Tsuna recalled, _'What could possibly go wrong?'._

 **The Millefiore Japanese HQ**

Dokuro had come to the Millefiore headquarters to meet an old friend. With the death of Byakuran the leadership of the Millefiore family had passed onto Yuni. Yuni was the sky arcobaleno, meaning she was the leader of two of the three Trinisette families. Theoretically this made the young lady the most important figure in the mafia world.

That was not why Dokuro had come to the Millefiore family headquarters though, she had come here for a personal reason, to discuss the wedding with one of her closest friends. Formerly she could have discussed this with Haru and Kyoko but since their 'death' and 'rebirth' relations had become strained.

"That's why I would be really grateful if you were my bridesmaid" Dokuro says, finishing a story in which she explained how the preparations had gone this far.

"Me?" starts Yuni, "Are you sure".

Dokuro nods, "You are a close friend to Tsuna and I, the Millefiore family is a valued ally, it's a move with both personal and political advantages".

"How exciting" replies Yuni with a smile on her face, "I'll have to pick out some clothes and write a speech" she notes, listing allowed all the duties she now has.

"And I better take you dress shopping" she continues.

"Yes" responds Dokuro, "Also, I will be really grateful if you would hand out these invitations to the other members of the Millefiore family". Dokuro hands Yuni several of the beautifully created invitations, something you would expect at a royal wedding, not a wedding between a commoner and someone who was homeless this time last year.

"Of course I will" says Yuni, "This is all really exciting, I've never been to any weddings before".

"Really" asks Dokuro, surprised seeing as how important, likeable and friendly Yuni was to everyone she met.

Yuni shook her head in confirmation, "There has always been too much trouble within the family but Tsuna and you guardians have changed that for all of us, we're very thankful".

"It's fine" smiles Dokuro, "We're happy to help".


	27. The Best Man

**BECOMING THE BOSS – THE BEST MAN**

 **The Japanese Countryside**

The grassy landscape swayed with the wind giving a sense of serenity and peacefulness that spread for miles. The surrounding environment was sparsely dotted with trees shedding their leaves in a way that reflected the season. This is where the Shimon families Suzuki Adelheid and Katou Julie had chosen to watch their boss from.

Julie lay casually in the field, placing his hands behind his head to form a rest. "It's pretty peaceful here, it's quite nice don't you think" asks the desert ring holder.

"Why don't you take some interest in Enma's training" Adelheid replies with a demanding tone.

Adelheid didn't copy Julie's posture, instead she stood proudly, watching over her boss training in the adjacent field. If Enma could learn the ultimate flame it would be the pride of the family, had such a thing ever been done before outside of the Vongola family?

The peace which Julie talked about was very calming but only when it went uninterrupted. The interruption that caused a stir amongst the local wildlife came whenever Enma tried to use the ultimate flame. His lack of ability to control the flame not only resulted in occasional flame explosions but also heat that could be felt even by Adelheid and Julie.

"Incredible" comes a voice from behind the duo. The voice belonged to Sawada Tsunayoshi, the next boss of an allied family.

Accompanying Tsuna was the forest guardian, Aoba Koyo. "Well he is our boss, in the end". Koyo lead Tsuna here after the latter came to the Shimon Family headquarters looking for Enma.

Power began to surge around Enma at this moment. The dying will flame had clearly not fully formed but it was the basis of the ultimate flame. Small wisps of fire spread around Enma's body in all directions, not just on his forehead.

Seeing that his student was struggling to maintain the flame and was panicking as a result, Reborn intervenes. "You need to keep calm Enma".

After having a brief conversation with Adelheid about improving the relationship between the two families, it was at that moment that Tsuna approached his practicing ally.

"Tsuna?" Enma stars in surprise as he sees his friend nearby. The lack of concentration causes the wisps of dying will flame to lose their density, heading away from Enma's body instead of around it. The dying will flame explodes.

Quickly in reaction to the explosion before him, Tsuna enters hyper dying will mode and uses 'serenity edition', creating a shield to protect himself and Reborn from the blast.

"Sorry Enma, I shouldn't have distracted you like that" offers Tsuna as he puts his shield away.

"It's OK, nobody was hurt" replies Enma, unhurt as the flame exploded away from him.

"What brings you here Tsuna?" asks Reborn, quickly changing the subject despite the near fatal incident.

"I came looking for you two" Tsuna informs his tutor as if it wasn't obvious. "Koyo brought me here to see you, what are you two doing here anyway?".

"Enma is my new student" Reborn explains.

"Really" Tsuna excitedly asks, "Congratulations Enma, he's not too bad as a tutor".

"I'm getting that impression" Enma smiles. Reborn has a reputation as a tutor. It had been a few years before the Arcobaleno was confident to teach mafia bosses though. Since taking up the most important teaching job in the world the two students Reborn had taken were Dino of the Chiavarone and Tsuna of the Vongola. The child had quickly become known for producing exceptional students.

"Anyway Reborn, I am here to ask you, will you be my best man" Tsuna sincerely requests. The Hitman Tutor had accompanied him for many years and deserved credit for turning his life around, asking him was the obvious choice.

"No" says Reborn.

"EHHH, what do you mean no" Tsuna yells after not considering this outcome.

"Reborn isn't that a bit harsh" starts Enma. "We're going to the wedding anyway aren't we".

"Of course we are" replies Reborn, "But it would be too much of a cop out if you chose me".

"You're a funny one to talk about cop outs, you used a dying will bullet whenever I couldn't solve a problem" sighs Tsuna.

Resorting to his other choice Vongola 10th turned to Shimon 10th, "Then Enma, would you please…".

"He's too busy training to write any speeches" interrupts Reborn, switching his considerations from his role as Tsuna's tutor to his role as Enma's tutor.

Tsuna looked dejected after that, thinking finding a best man would be easier for someone who's job revolves around wearing a suit. "I will go find someone else then" he mutters before walking off with his head hanging.

"You never let him have it easy do you Reborn" observes the red haired boss.

"Of course not, even now he is a student of mine" explains the Arcobaleno, "Speaking of which, get back to work, we have to make you immune to distractions in the future.

 **The Japanese Varia HQ**

Sawada Tsunayoshi had decided to come to the Varia HQ after his discussion with Enma and Reborn. Last year Tsuna would have never considered that he could have casually entered this building. Formerly the members of the Varia all considered him to be 'trash' as Xanxus put it, but now they looked at him fondly and called him boss, a title that showed he had earnt their respect.

"The boss is here" yells Lussuria so as to alert the entire assassination squad.

"Hello Lussuria" smiles Tsuna before politely enquiring, "How are you?".

"I'm fantastic boss" answers the sun attribute user.

"You're being rather flamboyant too" notes Tsuna, it's no surprise, Lussuria is known for being flamboyant at all times. "I would like to speak to Xanxus".

The boss' request caused five people to emerge from the shadows, Levi, Belphegor, Squalo, Mammon and his teacher, Xanxus.

"What is it you want" Xanxus asks without waiting for introductions, "An assassination?".

"No" replies Tsuna, struggling to believe he will ever order anything such as that. "I want you to be my best man".

"How desperate are you" questions Xanxus, not sounding enthusiastic about the role, "Why don't you ask that Enma guy, or Reborn?".

"They were both busy" Tsuna says still seeming rather disgruntled about it.

"I don't think the Varia is the best place to find a best man" replies Xanxus, being unusually considerate of how much the assassination squad sticks out in public. "Go to CEDEF, I'm sure someone there will do it".

"Of course" yells Tsuna, just realising the options available to him.

Tsuna used the nearest phone to make call to his old friend Basil. Basil had helped him to achieve the zero-point breakthrough all those years ago, the young Italian had stuck by him through thick and thin. Iemitsu's student, someone who the Sawada family had always treated as one of their own.

Tsuna welcomed Basil over the phone and discussed how things were going at CEDEF. It was the plan of CEDEF to move to Japan soon, the Varia had already moved and the external division would be the last major movement from Italy to the Vongola's new home country.

Tsuna felt uncomfortable as he realised the Varia members were all staring at him talking on the phone, listening in complete silence. "So will you be my best man" he asks over the phone.

"I would be honoured Tsuna" declares Basil.

"Thank you" the 10th sighs in relief. "I will send you all the details by email".

"I would be very grateful for that" says Basil. Basil had been in Japan but a few weeks ago, he was helping the 9th organise the transition in power to the 10th. It's only now that the 10th CEDEF boss realises he should have asked about the arrangements at the time.

"Oh and be careful in your speech, remember Mrs Chrome doesn't know that we're mafia" hurries the elder Sawada brother.

"We work in a call centre if I remember correctly" says Basil in a way such that Tsuna knows he is smiling.

"Exactly" says Tsuna.

"I will have to practice my Japanese accent it seems" laughs Basil.

 **A Tailor Shop, Tokyo**

Yamamoto Takeshi struggled through a horde of people screaming, demanding an autograph or a conversation with the baseball superstar. This was much to the amusement of the child who had gone shopping with him, the younger Sawada brother Lambo.

"Now I know how Senior Sasagawa feels all the time" he complains.

"Lambo would have preferred a suit with more white mixed in with the black" moans the child, changing the subject from Yamamoto's troublesome celebrity status.

"I think your suit fits Tsuna's taste more" laughs Yamamoto as he raises his hand to the rear of his head.

"If that's what brother wants that's how Lambo will turn up" says Lambo with an unusual look of determination in his eyes.

"Good work Lambo" smiles the rain guardian before he suddenly stops in his tracks.

"Lambo feels something strange approaching" announces the thunder guardian.

"Yeah" stammers Yamamoto. Something strange approaching is a huge understatement. Whatever is approaching is enough to make Yamamoto take notice, whatever the source of this feeling is, it's dangerous.

" _What do you think is going on"_ Yamamoto asks of his mentor.

" _I don't know, but it doesn't feel like the dying will flame is the source of this power"_ answers Byakuran, sharing his student's alarm.

" _Then how are we able to sense it"_ questions the swordsman.

" _Perhaps it is some other source of great power"_ answers the deceased Millefiore boss.

" _You mean there are more sources than just the dying will flame"_ asks Yamamoto.

" _Possibly, we need to investigate, let's go"_ orders Byakuran.

 **The Millefiore Headquarters**

Yuni and Dokuro had just returned from dress shopping and were sitting down drinking some tea. Yuni was particularly inquisitive about her friend's time in Italy with Tsuna. The two women were rather naïve about the world despite their positions of great power, they had made decisions that could move countries but actually going there on holiday was more interesting to the two of them.

Dokuro suddenly stood up and looked behind her. "Do you…" she begins.

"Yes, this feeling, I've never felt anything like it before" replies Yuni, looking in the same direction as Dokuro, her focus not wavering for a second.

Dokuro closed her eyes and expanded her senses, attempting to find out whatever she could about the source of this power. Opening her eyes again she declared the results of her investigation. "I don't sense any Vongola reinforcements in the immediate area, if this is an enemy we are alone".

Ganma ran in to confirm the suspicions of the duo. "We have to get out of here" he yelled to the two women. Panic written all over his face.

"Ganma, calm down, what is going on" asks Yuni.

"A man with demonic strength is walking right through our defences" explains the influential Millefiore member.

"How could this be?" questions the Arcobaleno leader, not believing that anybody could just stroll through their defences.

"There is already no hope for escape, he is heading this way" declares Dokuro as she summons her trident, the weapon that she and Mukuro shared a liking for.

"Then we will hold our ground" Ganma responds, trusting the judgement of the Vongola families mist guardian.

"I'm not sure what good we can do, but we at least have to hold out until Tsuna gets here".

 **The Japanese Countryside**

As Reborn and Enma continue the training another guest is brought to them. It is the first of the three students trained by Reborn, the bucking bronco, Dino. Dino watches in astonishment as Enma shows the starting of the ultimate dying will flame.

"Ah, it's Dino" Enma notices, the difference between now and before though is that Enma manages to maintain his flame.

"It's good to see you are making progress" smiles Dino. "Remember, now that we are sibling students you can come to me with any worries".

"I can?" says Enma.

Dino continues to smile as he explains, "Yourself, Tsuna and I are the exclusive three members of an elite club".

"Though you're the weak one" Reborn emphasises.

"So rude" tuts the Chiavarone boss, "Anyway if you need anything I'm here".

Suddenly the conversation was interrupted as the three of them look in the direction of Tokyo. Something was coming from that direction, something none of them could identify.

"This is…" mutters Enma.

"Well whatever it is it can't be good" concludes Dino as he subconsciously reaches for his whip.

"We are heading that direction right now" Reborn orders.

"Mr Reborn?" prompts Enma, looking for more explanation from his tutor.

"We don't know where Tsuna is so we can't take any chances" suggests the Arcobaleno, "Until the boss comes back, we are assuming command of this situation".

 **The Sasagawa Family House**

"You actually expect me to go to his wedding" screams Kyoko who is on the verge of pulling her hair out.

"I was only offering, it could be the next stage in moving on" shouts Ryohei, not wanting to be outdone by his sister's attempt to raise the volume.

At that moment they both looked towards the Millefiore headquarters.

"We should go" Ryohei says, lowering his voice and turning towards the door.

"Yeah" concludes Kyoko as she hurries after her brother.

 **Gokudera's House**

"Like hell am I going to meet my parents again" yells Haru, "Nor am I going to Tsuna's wedding".

"You should take your frustrations out on me, not the 10th" Gokudera yells back, thinking about his former girlfriend is always excessive when she is being unreasonable. "He is still your boss isn't he?".

"Bana is my boss" returns Haru, maintaining her loyalty towards her saviour.

Suddenly Hibari entered the house uninvited. The cloud guardian displayed the same emotionless facial expression as always before he turned his back on the arguing couple. "If you two would focus for a moment an emergency has come up".

It was at the mention of this emergency that Haru and Gokudera's heads both noticeably twitched as they sensed the ominous power.

"Let's go" suggests the policeman as he runs towards the source of power.


	28. Warning

**BECOMING THE BOSS – WARNING**

 **The Millefiore Headquarters**

In the Millefiore family headquarters Dokuro, Ganma and Yuni stood looking at the door. They didn't know who or what would enter, only that it was an absolutely terrifying entity. This anxiety, this fear was something they had grown all too accustomed to now.

Dokuro took a deep breath so as to calm herself and at that very moment a man entered the room. The man was slightly above average height with short dark hair. He was wearing loose fitting formalwear and sunglasses, his arms covered in tattoos both beautiful and intimidating.

Yuni stepped forward to address the newcomer, "This is the Millefiore family headquarters, what business do you have here?".

"So it's really true" the man murmurs, not bothering to answer Yuni's question. "The Mafia have come to Japan".

"What business is it of yours, our boss asked you a question" Ganma impatiently yells.

The man maintains his silence. He chooses to simply observe as the three mafioso stared him down. Unlike the trio that opposed him though, this individual shows know fear.

Dokuro was the one to break the silence. "It's tradition before a fight, so it seems inevitable now, my name is Chrome Dokuro, who are you?". The tradition Dokuro is referencing is of course the exchange of names between warriors, the only method she has to find out more about this attacker.

"Randa" replies the attacker, "Randa Rensuke".

"I have come to deliver a warning, the mafia is not welcome in Japan, that includes the Millefiore" explains Randa.

Yuni questions to herself whether this is a territorial issue. The Millefiore, the Varia, the Shimon, they have all recently moved to Japan all for one purpose. Maintaining close ties with the Vongola family, the most powerful mafia family in the world. It was many years ago that Vongola Primo was said to have 'fled' to Japan, surely there couldn't be a territory issue following that.

Acting with great quickness and catching everyone unaware, Randa reaches behind his back and swings his arm in such a way that a hidden kunai launched towards Dokuro.

' _What speed'_ Dokuro thinks to herself. She is surprised to the degree where she is unable to react. The speed was incredible but not beyond her capabilities. Instead it is Ganma who reacts, firing a pool ball straight at the kunai so as to stop it.

As the two projectiles collide it is the pool ball that shatters with the kunai maintaining its speedy path towards Dokuro. The mist guardian does not react however, she closes her eyes and maintains her composure as the kunai passes through her body.

Ganma is staggered that he couldn't see through this, _'that was an illusion'_.

Not wasting time Dokuro dashes to Randa's side, spinning her trident before aiming it straight at the attacker's head. Something nobody foresaw stops the weapon though, a thin wall of water. The water didn't stop the weapon as such, not when swung by someone with the arm strength of Dokuro. The weapon was slowed to the degree where Randa could comfortably catch the shaft of the trident.

' _He controls water'_ Dokuro quickly concludes, _'Could this power… could it be another route than the dying will flame?'_. The mist guardian's thought process is interrupted as Randa uses the weapon as a catapult, throwing the wielder into Ganma as they both crash through a nearby wall.

Yuni is now entirely by herself. _'Not only is his skill formidable but his strength is too'_.

"I believe you are a figurehead" says Randa, "Your death will be suitable". Randa brings out a kunai and swings it at Yuni's head, determined that the arcobaleno and Millefiore leader will be substantial enough to send a message to all the others.

It is Randa's turn to be blocked by a newcomer though, this newcomer wielded a sword, Yamamoto Takeshi.

"The Millefiore family… is under my protection" declares the baseball star.

"Oh, a strong one has arrived" smiles Randa.

"Yamamoto" smiles Yuni, knowing that Yamamoto underwent a great increase in strength during the ring contest with Bana and his guardians.

" _Be careful, this guy is strong"_ cautions Byakuran.

" _I know, I will fight to survive not to win"_ responds Yamamoto, subscribing to the same philosophy as Dokuro before him.

At that moment Yamamoto uses the strategy taught to him by Byakuran. Blue wings grow on his back and his sword grows larger than before as he swings it strongly towards Randa.

Randa calmly reacts with a cleverly placed tap using his kunai, deflecting the sword of Yamamoto just enough so that it misses the invader. After successfully escaping from the sword attack, Randa responds by blasting a high speed slice of water towards Yamamoto's chest, forcing the rain guardian to duck.

Upon evading the water from his opponent Yamamoto is instructed by Byakuran, _"The ankle then the eyes"._

Yamamoto swing his foot towards the closets ankle of Randa but is countered as the latter lifts his foot and slammed it down into Yamamoto's ankle, twisting it in the process. The rain guardian works through the pain and aims his fingers at his opponent's eyes. Of the two combatants, Randa is the faster to react, he throws Yamamoto over his shoulder before the poke could obscure his vision.

The baseball player steadies himself with his wings before gently landing. Immediately regretting it Yamamoto moans in pain.

" _Don't land you idiot"_ screams Byakuran, _"Your ankle will only get worse"_.

Yamamoto lifts himself of the ground using his wings before there is a change in Byakuran's tone.

" _Yamamoto, help is here"_ his master assures him.

Bursting in through the door is the Hitman Tutor Reborn. Reborn immediately fires a full power shot towards Randa, with the latter narrowly dodging.

The dodge doesn't remain effective for long as Dino jumps in through the hole created by Dokuro and Ganma, grabbing one of Randa's arms with his whip, Dino limits the movement of his opponent.

The last of the trio to enter the room is Kozato Enma, who uses his powers of gravity manipulation to form a black hole, an enormous force which forces Randa to his knees and eventually onto his front.

Climbing back in through the hole she created, Dokuro reinforces the mafia's hold on their enemy, using the power Mukuro left her to constrain Randa with vines.

As the next few moments pass the room was flooded by the world's strongest mafioso, Sawada Lambo, Sasagawa Ryohei and Kyoko, Gokudera Hayato, Miura Haru and Hibari Kyoya.

Finally, the 'big boss' entered the room, the man who united the strongest mafioso in the world, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"I'm sorry I took so long" says Tsuna with his gaze not leaving Randa. "You've done an excellent job my guardians, fellow Vongola". Tsuna is always quick to praise his allies especially in a situation such as this, before he had even got there they had been successful in restraining this huge threat.

"What interests me right now… is who are you" the 10th questions Randa.

"My name is Randa Rensuke, I am here to deliver a warning that the mafia is not welcome in Japan" recites the tattoo covered man, as if it is his sole mission in life.

"Release him" orders Tsuna.

"Are you sure?" Enma asks, his voice full with doubt, who knew if they would be able to restrain him again.

Tsuna nods to Enma, as the various mafioso in the room release their grips on Randa. The attacker leaps to his feet and brings his face right up to Tsuna's, leaving the two in a stand-off. What Randa didn't expect was that Tsuna didn't even flinch.

"I am Sawada Tsunayoshi, the 10th leader of the strongest mafia family Vongola, Japan is my home and I have no intention of leaving, so what are you going to do" Tsuna questions. He doesn't bat an eyelid as he stares into the heart of this threat, potentially the greatest threat the mafia has ever seen.

"Whether you kill me or not, either way the message will get back to my superiors that you're not leaving" begins Randa, "When that happens, they will hunt you down like animals and put you to the sword". After seeing the power that naturally emanates from Tsuna, Randa still made such a claim, showing his full confidence in the strength of his superiors.

"Your superiors, who are they" Tsuna asks aggressively, as if demanding an answer from Randa.

The interrogation was interrupted as the world's second strongest mafioso burst into the room, Vongola Bana. "Your superiors, are they the ones that created me?".

Randa turns his head to look at Bana before he breaks out into hysterical laughter. "So you failed, you were supposed to keep the mafia in Italy but you failed miserably, Bana, you truly are a disappointment".

Bana feels a shiver run down his spine, this man knew his name, he was clearly part of the organisation that created him. "Why create me" Bana asks, "Why for that purpose… WHO DID IT" Bana yells, getting more and more flustered as things don't become any clearer to him.

"You were created from the genetic material of Vongola Primo, you look identical to him and we made it this way specifically so that you could earn the trust of the Vongola family and lead them back to Italy" explains Randa. "But you failed, your creators were the same people who wanted me to send you this warning".

"Enough with your shit" Bana grinds his teeth, "I want names, what organisation do you work for". Bana breathes heavily, his breath drained from his extended period of shouting.

"I would sooner die than betray them" says Randa as he pulls out another hidden kunai and stabs himself in the chest.

"WAIT… DON'T YOU DARE DIE… COME BACK HERE YOU BASTARD" Bana yells at Randa's body long after he dies.

Despite being upset by the scene before him Tsuna maintains his focus, his job is not to discover Bana's origins it is to protect him and the rest of the Vongola family. "Hibari, I think we need to talk".

"Things are about to get interesting again" smiles the cloud guardian.

 **The Roof**

It was windy on the roof. The weather conditions amplified the sounds of the sirens as emergency vehicles began to arrive below. People had reported explosions, gunfire, screaming and structural damage. All the emergency services had arrived. Due to his connections in the police force, Hibari was able to arrange for he and Tsuna to be left alone on the roof.

"Please tell me the truth, do you have any idea who that man was" asks Tsuna.

"Nothing specific" Hibari blandly states.

"But…" prompts the chestnut haired boss.

"That tattoo on his arm, he may have come from the Yakuza" suggests the cloud guardian.

"The Japanese counterpart to the Mafia?" asks Tsuna, requiring more information from his subordinate.

"They may feel threatened by our encroaching on their territory" suggests Hibari.

"How can they be strong enough to threaten us" asks Tsuna. The dying will flame is strong, when Byakuran used in the future he was able to rule over the entire world and since then Tsuna had become much more proficient in its use. Compared to a 'superpower' like that what could the Yakuza possibly do.

"Japan has a history of being a warring nation" replies Hibari in an attempt to justify how the group got so strong. "Ask yourself, with me in the police force, why have the Yakuza still not gone into hiding".

"The only conclusion I can draw" Tsuna darkly begins, "is that they are not afraid of you".

"Exactly" frowns Hibari.

"I don't want to push their buttons; would you be willing to move to Italy?" Tsuna questions his cloud guardian, as much through curiosity as anything else.

"No, I hate running away, herbivore" answers the policeman.

Tsuna smiles at that, "Yeah, we all do".

"Very well then, they have thrown down the gauntlet and now we will pick it up".

"This challenge they have made; we will accept".

"If the Yakuza want to challenge the mafia to a territory war, they will find out why we have held Italy for so long".

Hibari smiles at Tsuna's speech, "This is too exciting" he replies.

"In the mean time I am getting married to Dokuro, I hope you meant what you said about removing unsavoury people" says Tsuna.

"Don't worry, they will have to walk over my corpse to interfere" promises Hibari.

It was that day that war was declared, between the Mafia and the Yakuza.


	29. The Mafia is Ready

**BECOMING THE BOSS – THE MAFIA IS READY**

 **Outside the Wedding Hall**

Tsuna smiles as he looks at the hall. _'This is it Tsuna, when you leave this building it will be as a married man'_ he thinks to himself. The venue is very well kept and the scenery is a mixture of beautiful luscious green grass and dark orange leaves on the trees.

Tsuna is here to greet people as they arrive for his wedding, nearby his cloud guardian is keeping watch, looking for 'unsavoury characters'. _'Hibari knows the Yakuza best, he won't let anyone in'_.

The first guest to arrive is a lady who Tsuna has become very familiar with, Dokuro's mother, Chrome Hino. "Ah Hino, welcome" Tsuna says as he bows to his future mother-in-law.

"You're looking good today Tsunayoshi" Hino compliments her daughter's fiancée. "I hope everything goes well with the ceremony" she says as she wheels herself into the hall, needing more time than most to get to her seat.

"So do I" the 10th says under his breath.

A while passed before any of the others arrived, of course Hino was not only disabled but one of the closest family members to the bride, it was only natural she arrived early. The next people to arrive were the remaining guardians from the Vongola family.

"10th, today I will finally be able to refer to you as my boss" says Gokudera, eager for Tsuna's rise in status. From day one Gokudera has insistently called Tsuna the 10th, nobody has more respect for his status in the mafia.

"Yeah, Gokudera, do you know if the 9th was successful combining the wedding and inheritance ceremonies" questions Tsuna, knowing that the 9th was struggling to obey Vongola traditions while hiding it from Hino.

"Yes" replies Gokudera, "you should become the Vongola boss at the same moment you get married".

Tsuna nods gently, not showing an extraordinary enthusiasm for the role. "I know I didn't ask" he begins, "but have you come prepared?".

Yamamoto pulls his jacket to the side slightly, revealing to Tsuna a glimmer of metal from his sword. "The mafia is ready" declares the baseball star.

"Thank you" sighs the groom, "you never know when they might act".

"We won't let them" Ryohei claims defiantly, showing no fear in the face of great adversity.

A duo who were formerly very friendly with the guardians approached, Kyoko and Haru. It was a bit unusual for an ex to turn up to your wedding, especially when they hated you quite as much as Kyoko hated Tsuna right now.

"I'm glad you two came" smiles Tsuna, still grateful that they had decided to come.

"We're not here for the wedding" Kyoko is quick to explain, "This is just a spot where a fight is likely to break out".

"We're still mafia" Haru concludes.

"Good work" compliments Tsuna, not wanting to alienate the duo, even if they weren't here for him they were still here on behalf of the Vongola family, his family, that was enough for him to feel gratitude.

As Kyoko and Haru head into the hall to find seats, presumably at the back, Tsuna casts a glance at his sworn brother.

"I will be certain she doesn't say a word" says Ryohei, knowing what Tsuna is thinking.

"Thank you" responds Tsuna, "You guys head on in".

As instructed the guardians head in as the chestnut haired 10th walks over to his cloud guardian. Hibari had not said a word to any of the arriving guests, he had simply watched vigilantly, an occupation which would bore anyone else to death.

"Anybody suspicious?" Tsuna simply asks.

"Not even remotely" replies Hibari.

"Good" says Tsuna before returning to greeting his guests, not wanting to draw out the unpleasant conversation subject longer than he has too.

Tsuna spots the best man approaching.

"Sorry I wasn't here Tsuna" Basil rushes as he tucks in his shirt.

"It's fine, by the dramatic best man standards you're early" declares the groom.

"Does everything seem OK so far" Basil asks.

"Yeah, no sign of any Yakuza" the next boss informs the next CEDEF leader.

The next arrivals were a group that Tsuna never expected to see wearing suits. It was the Varia, led by Xanxus in their march towards the wedding hall.

Tsuna had worked hard to earn respect from this group, to make them refer to him as 'boss'. "Xanxus, I'm really happy that you all came".

Basil decides to play the diplomat. "In this ceremony the Varia will become equally as important as CEDEF, we look forward to working with you".

"The assassination squad is not known for using flowery words but thank you" Xanxus replies to Basil. He directs his eyes back towards Tsuna before mirroring what Yamamoto did earlier, he opens his jacket to reveal his weapons.

The boss once more nods in reply before gesturing the assassination squad into the hall. As the Varia head in Basil begins to realise just how influential Tsuna is in the mafia world, now the legendary Shimon family are arriving for his wedding.

"Enma, how is your training" asks the Vongola.

"I can just about sustain the ultimate flame, I'm nowhere near the level of Bana or yourself though" explains the Shimon, disappointed that he couldn't progress to the same level as his counterpart.

"That is fantastic, we're proud to be your allies" begins Tsuna, "I hope you enjoy yourselves today, please take your seats".

The next arrivals are the group from the Chiavarone family, accompanied by the child who set Tsuna on this path, the Hitman Tutor Reborn.

"Good luck today Tsuna" Dino offers.

"By the end of the ceremony you will be my boss, remember I am a member of your family before I'm your tutor, if you need help I'm here" Reborn reminds his pupil.

"I appreciate it, do either of you know where the 9th is" asks the 10th.

"He had to head back to Italy urgently, I think he is taking precautions against the Yakuza" postulates the hitman. If Reborn doesn't have a clear image of what is going on it is evidently being kept secret by the 9th, there is no need for Tsuna to worry.

"It's a pity but he is doing the right thing" sighs Tsuna. As Reborn and Dino head into the hall Tsuna recalls how the 9th has organised this fantastic venue, it truly is a pity he cannot attend. The mafioso is broken from his reminiscent stupor by the arrival of his parents.

"Mother, father" the elder Sawada brother greets his parents.

"I'm really proud of you Tsuna" Nana sincerely tells her son while on the verge of tears.

"Thank you very much" begins Tsuna, "Father, make sure you keep mother safe today, that is your job".

"I don't need to be told that by my son" Iemitsu smiles with a degree of irritation.

"Perhaps it was an order from your boss" suggests the Italian best man.

"My son and my student sure are cheeky" Iemitsu moans as he accompanies his wife into the hall.

Soon the bright blonde hair of Vongola Bana draws Tsuna's eyes. The remainder of team Bana approached the wedding with their leader, ready for any danger that may await them.

"Bana, it means a lot that you have come today, it helps to reconcile our differences I hope" Tsuna extends his hand to his recent opponent.

"Yeah" Bana shakes the hand of his soon to be boss, "If I sense the Yakuza coming I will leave before anybody else, with any luck you will never need to leave the service". Bana makes a point that nobody has considered thus far, the powerful ones will be the first to sense the Yakuza coming, namely himself and Tsuna.

"This will avoid the attention of Chrome Hino" explains Bana. Following the go-ahead from Tsuna the clone leads his troupe of warriors into the wedding hall.

The last group arrives, the remainder of the arcobaleno invitees, Colonello, Lal Mirch, Fu and Skull.

"We have arrived, hey" declares Colonello.

"Congratulations on your wedding Tsuna" says Lal Mirch, Tsuna's former teacher.

"Thank you" acknowledges the 10th, "I have to ask… are you all…?".

"We're on the mafia side in the war you have declared" Fu says to set Tsuna's mind at ease. The arcobaleno didn't all come from a mafia background, they were a set of exceptional people gathered from all parts of the globe, it wouldn't have been that unreasonable if some of them had Yakuza allegiances.

"Thank goodness" Tsuna sighs.

"Basil, a suit looks good on you, good thing, I suppose you will be my boss soon" compliments Lal Mirch.

"I suppose so, I look forward to working closer with you" smiles Basil, "I'm surprised you're here Skull".

"I came due to my obligations to the Shimon family" Skull huffs immaturely.

' _A baby's body really matched his personality'_ Tsuna thinks to himself. "Well I'm grateful to you, please take your seats".

As the arcobaleno walked into the venue Hibari approached his leader. The intense gaze he has employed this whole time does not waver while he whispers to the man he respects most in this world.

"The only ones left are Chrome's group, go inside" he orders.

Tsuna snickers at his cloud guardian's attitude, not bothering to encourage more politeness from him as he knows it would be superfluous.

"Let's go Basil".

As the 10th generation of CEDEF and the Vongola family saw their leaders walk into the hall nobody realised just how important this wedding was. Although it was impossible to predict at this point, this was the most important wedding in human history.


	30. The 10th Boss

**BECOMING THE BOSS – THE 10th BOSS**

 **The Wedding Hall**

As Tsuna stands at the end of the hall with Basil calling him nervous would have been an understatement. Tsuna not only had to worry about an invasion from the Japanese underworld, he was also rather on-edge about the fact he was about to be married.

Nobody else in the hall, beside Bana, believes that the Yakuza could get past the son of the first if they were to show up. Tsuna and Bana had something to draw on that nobody else could though, they shared the hyper intuition of Vongola Primo.

' _What if they burst in, what will Hino think of me'_ Tsuna thinks to himself, _'This is perfect for them, literally everyone here could be used as a hostage, I have an emotional connection to every one of them'_.

Tsuna's thought process is finally interrupted by the arrival that everyone had been awaiting, Chrome Dokuro. Upon seeing Dokuro, Tsuna forgets everything that he has been worrying about and simply admires the woman. _'Who would have thought we would have been here this time last year'_ smiles the groom.

Dokuro walks down the aisle in a cheap and cheerful dress, not in keeping with the expensive venue but very much aligning with Dokuro's tastes. Yuni had worked hard to help Dokuro achieve the wedding she wanted.

As the purple haired woman walks towards her future a few of the guests smile when they see she is being flanked by not one man but two. Ken and Chikusa were walking their long-term friend down the aisle.

" _Being walked down the aisle by those two is a nice touch"_ Yamamoto mentions to Byakuran.

" _Yeah"_ agrees the former Millefiore boss.

Upon being finally united Tsuna is stuck for what to say but feels he has to say something. "Hello" Tsuna says to a laugh from the guests.

"Hello" replies Dokuro.

The official who had his back turned to this point finally turned around. Tsuna nearly jumps out of his skin and Dino nearly leaped from his chair, this had become habit for the two of them as the official shared the face of the Hitman Tutor Reborn.

' _HOW ON EARTH DID HE GET THERE'_ Tsuna yells in his own mind. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see Reborn but why did he pick now to get up to his antics.

Confused about what is going on Tsuna turned on his heel to look at the people behind him. _'Reborn and Enma are gone'_ Tsuna realises, _'He's stood on Enma's shoulders'_. Tsuna panicked for a while, associating the appearance of Reborn in a strange way to the stressful experiences of his past.

A moment passes before a smile comes to Tsuna's face. _'I wouldn't have it any other way'_ decides the soon to be 10th. _'Thank you Reborn, Enma, having you perform the ceremony means a lot to me'._

So it stood, Reborn performed the ceremony with Enma's help. A few chuckles came from the guests as the two struggled to remain in sync while moving around. If Hino did notice something off though she didn't express any concerns, she smiled through the whole ceremony.

To the huge relief of all present, the ceremony was successful, without Yakuza intervention Tsuna and Chrome were married.

In the rear of the hall Xanxus makes a subtle call using his phone. "Old man" says the Varia leader.

"Did the ceremony go well" asks the 9th Vongola boss.

"Let's put it this way, where shall I send the happy retirement card?" smiles the son.

"Thank god for that" sighs the now former Vongola boss.

"There's still a reception to go" Xanxus warns.

"Right" acknowledges the 9th, "I won't relax until everyone has gone their separate ways".

"Understood" says Xanxus as cuts off the phone.

Squalo smiles as he looks at his leader, "You're getting close to the old man again" he teases. It had been a long time since Squalo witnessed the ultimate implosion of the Vongola family, the moment where the 9th froze Xanxus solid using the zero-point breakthrough.

"Shut up trashy shark" frowns Xanxus, not wanting to admit to reforming his relationship with his father.

"You're happy aren't you?" asks Squalo.

Xanxus looks at Squalo in such a way as to prompt him to elaborate.

"For the boss, you're happy for him right".

"I'm happy for the one who is retiring and the current one" Xanxus says in a show of honesty that surprises the various members of the Varia.

"Then we will follow that, I've always followed that judgement of yours, it has never let me down yet" compliments Squalo, the most loyal member of the Varia.

 **The Reception**

The reception took place in an exceptionally expensive restaurant, the 9th evidently used the full financial muscle of the Vongola to obtain it. _'How am I supposed to manage something with so much money'_ Tsuna thought to himself before discarding the thought and focusing on the reception.

Tsuna is finding it difficult to concentrate on anything other than Dokuro right now, the woman had been the source of the greatest happiness in his life. Tsuna suddenly realised he should be listening to the speeches and re-concentrated on the chief bridesmaid Yuni.

"Which is why I'm entrusting her safety to you Sawada Tsunayoshi, and I hope the two of you live a very happy life together" finishes the arcobaleno to a round of applause from the guests.

"Come on Basil, it's time for your big speech" says Tsuna.

Basil stands up to look around at all the guests, _'To think I'm the now the leader of CEDEF and I feel like the small fish in a big pond'_. It was only expected that Basil would be nervous, surrounding him are the Vongola Boss, the Millefiore Boss, the Shimon Boss, the Varia Boss, the Arcobaleno and even Vongola Bana. If he wasn't nervous it would just go to prove he didn't understand the weight of the positions held by the people in this room.

Basil's hands shake as he looks at the cards in his hand for support. _'This is awful'_ Basil concludes before he rips the cards in half and places them back into his pocket.

"It was several years ago now when I first met Sawada Tsunayoshi" he begins.

"Without anyone knowing my teacher was in fact his father, which led to a rather awkward situation".

"I became friends with Tsuna and found out he had suffered with the nickname no-good Tsuna".

"Since that moment I think it is safe to say that there is not a single one of us who has not been greatly affected by his kindness".

"Tsuna first met Chrome Dokuro when they… when they were playing football".

' _He chose football of all things'_ Tsuna sweatdrops, _'I suck at sports'_.

"Tsuna was the team captain and Chrome was an unexpected last minute addition to the team".

"Since then the two of them have supported each other greatly on the field, advancing a lot as players".

"They have overcome every challenge put in their way".

"Once Chrome even tried playing for a different team but she couldn't bring herself to play against Tsuna".

"Our friend Chrome has had to deal with a lot of monetary issues, Tsuna with his reputation as no-good Tsuna".

"They have been looked down upon by society for a large portion of their lives… and if you were to look at them now…".

"Nobody is looking down on you anymore" Basil smiles to his friends as he raises a glass, "to Tsuna and Dokuro".

"To Tsuna and Dokuro" the guests collectively toast.

Basil sits down after gulping down a substantial fraction of his drink. "It's your turn now Tsuna" he says with a smile.

"Don't forget to thank everyone for coming" reminds the newest member of the Sawada family.

Tsuna nods and gets to his feet, recalling that this speech is highly important. This is not only a speech Sawada Tsunayoshi is making to the guests at his wedding, this is a speech from the worldwide leader of the mafia to his strongest and closest allies.

Tsuna puffs his cheeks and blows out the air in a gesture that resembles a sigh, "Today I would like to…" he begins.

"I would like to…" he repeats.

"To…" he says once more before urgently looking towards the ceiling with a panicked look on his face.

Hibari Kyoya who is stood by the door takes Tsuna's reaction to mean that the worst case scenario has happened, the cloud guardian runs outside.

"Tsuna, is it them?" Basil asks his friend.

"I don't know but I thought I felt something" Tsuna stammers, considering that it could have just been his nerves playing tricks with him.

Bana delivers the news nobody wants to hear, "I'm sorry Tsuna, I felt it too", he says as he gets to his feet and stares at the ceiling.

"Dokuro" Chrome Hino starts with concern, "What is going on?".

"Don't worry mother" consoles Dokuro, "I'm sure it's nothing".

Hibari suddenly runs back into the hall, without saying anything he nods to the leader of the Varia, prompting Xanxus to make a call.

Xanxus takes his phone out of his pocket and says the words that start the great conflict. "Old man, they are here".

In a single moment everyone in the hall draws the weapons and points them at the ceiling, the largest ever military force that has ever been pointed in one direction.

"Oh my god" says Hino.

Dokuro joins the others in pulling out her weapon, "mother, I'm truly sorry about this, I promise I will explain everything later".

The architecture of the roof was a sight to behold, concave shapes had been carved into it by a talented artist. The shapes had been lined with gold and silver and the remainder had been painted in a beautiful array of colours, one moment it was there, the next it had gone.

The mafia stood and stared at one man who floated in the air above the restaurant, he had a tight fitting black robe not dis-similar to the one worn by Randa when he had invaded the Millefiore HQ. This man had tattoos as well, painting him as a Yakuza member in the eyes of Tsuna and his followers. This newcomer was young, he couldn't be more than a 17-year-old and he had dyed green hair.

"Bana, Enma" calls the Vongola boss. The trio all ignite the most powerful flame, the ultimate flame and soar into the air opposite this attacker.

The newcomer smiles a knowing smile and says to the trio, "Kosuke Yaru" revealing his name to the group as his gaze focuses on Sawada Tsunayoshi. "Your wife pointed it out to us last time… swapping names is somewhat of a tradition".

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" replies the strongest mafioso, "I'm the boss of the Vongola family".

Not waiting for his opponent to initiate combat Yaru appeared above Tsuna with a speed none present had ever witnessed. He raises his leg in the air to show everyone present some very heavy-looking, skeletal metal boots. Yaru slams the boot down into Tsuna's head, leaving the boss a bloody mess as he crashes down into the ground.

"TSUNA" screams Dokuro as she looks at the state of her husband.

"Those boots" begins Reborn as he refuses to take his eyes away from the attacker, "he uses boots as his weapon".


	31. An Ever Changing Mafia

**BECOMING THE BOSS – AN EVER CHANGING MAFIA**

 **The Restaurant**

Tsuna is on the ground in a bloody state, everyone is panicking. The former atmosphere was one of great happiness, the wedding was a success, everyone thought they were as good as home. Now that the Yakuza had arrived and immobilized the strongest Vongola with a single attack, the atmosphere was one of desperation, despair and suffering.

"Dokuro, how is Sawada" yells Vongola Bana, unable to see his boss as he doesn't dare to take his eyes from his opponent.

"Tsuna are you alright" Dokuro questions with wide eyes. Seeing her husband in bad condition has put Dokuro in a state such that she doesn't even hear Bana yell at her.

Sawada Tsunayoshi looked angry at himself more than anything. The upper body of the newly crowned boss was twitching as his face contorted, "I… I can't move" he informs his wife.

With the exception of the two flying opposite Yaru, the entire mafia looks at Tsuna in shock. He had really been beaten with that one blow, he wasn't going to get up. If the 10th couldn't last more than one exchange what sort of chance did they stand.

Yaru looks displeased, almost as if he pities the people before him, "You were warned this would happen if the Mafia didn't leave Japan" he reminds them. From his point of view this is entirely down to the stupidity of those who declared this war.

Enma decides to try and catch Yaru off guard, he creates a black hole next to the Yakuza member in an attempt to pull him in. All manners of cutlery, small objects and even the tables are pulled into the gravity source, Hino only saved by some vines created by her daughter.

Yaru remains unhindered next to the black hole, "Sorry but my weapons are boots and I train in the use of my legs, you won't make me lose my footing so…".

Before Yaru finishes, Bana fires a full force X-Burner towards the Yakuza, an attack he has worked hard to perfect since his match with Tsuna. In the face of such great power, Yaru kicks the flames that are travelling towards him and sends them crashing into Enma with ease.

As Enma falls from the sky Bana doesn't stop his offensive, he closes the distance to his opponent and throws a punch towards him. The punch is stopped with one of the heavy boots that Yaru wears.

Never having had his punch blocked in such a way, Bana starts and fails to react as Yaru draws his foot back towards his body. After withdrawing his foot, the green haired boy throws it back at the clone's chest, knocking him from the sky just like Enma before him.

"I… don't believe it" says Gokudera, the trio of Tsuna, Bana and Enma had spent months, years training to get to their level. This holy trinity of the mafia had been pushed by each other to levels higher than anyone had thought possible, yet they had lost in an instant.

"Were we always this outclassed" Yamamoto asks rhetorically.

" _Yamamoto"_ begins Byakuran, _"If this is it, if this is the end, thank you… for keeping me alive… for the memories, for…"._

" _Don't talk like that"_ the rain guardian interrupts his teacher, _"We will make it out of this somehow"._ Though he had said that to comfort his teacher, his friend, Yamamoto truly has no idea how to get out of this situation alive.

"Everyone stop getting hysterical and listen" demands Xanxus, "The 9th will come for us, he's going to save us, we just have to hold on".

Yaru laughs involuntarily, "The 9th, what a joke, let me tell you something, have you ever been told that Vongola 1st came to Japan after his reign was over".

Basil recalls how Xanxus once said the 1st fled to Japan because he was afraid of the 2nd, something nobody believed to be true, why would this man know about it.

"It wasn't just the first, every Vongola boss came to Japan after they were done, they all came for the same reason. They came to fight us and every single one of them gave up and died" boasts Yaru.

Xanxus grinds his teeth upon hearing this, the story doesn't contradict any of the facts he is in possession of, in fact it makes a lot of sense. That means that Vongola Primo came to Japan to fight the Yakuza, and like the rest of the Vongola family he lost.

While the guests at the wedding all seem to be losing hope they needed someone who wouldn't, the same person they always needed, the Vongola boss.

"You all heard what Xanxus said" Tsuna yells at the top of his voice, drawing the attention of all present.

"We are proud members of an ever changing mafia".

"Don't you dare give up until the 9th gets here".

The mafia look at Tsuna in awe, does this man not know when to give up, when enough is enough, when he is beat.

The first to truly react is Squalo, the over-enthusiastic Varia commander. "Voi, you heard the boss, let's do this". Everyone brings out their dying will flame and they burn brighter than ever before. This is reflective of what Reborn once said, the most important part of the dying will flame is the dying will. "Everyone with ranged attacks… FIRE".

A dramatic attack, a thunderous ball of fire, lightning, water and lava, this was the strongest attack the mafia had ever united to create. Never before had someone fought against the Shimon, the Millefiore and the Vongola all at once. Yet Yaru emerges from the attack, completely unharmed.

"You made a mistake when you declared war on us Sawada Tsunayoshi" proclaims the youngster.

"This is no time for giving up" Gokudera encourages his allies in keeping with his job as Tsuna's right hand man. "Get ready to attack again if you can".

"That's right, hey" shouts Colonello, "He has to have a limit somewhere".

"FIRE" repeats Squalo, triggering an attack that while not as strong as last time is still incredibly impressive to witness.

Once again Yaru is unharmed by the attack, his posture emerging from the explosion the same as his posture going into it. "I wonder how many times you will have to attack before you are satisfied, listen, you don't stand a chance in hell against me".

A loud bang is heard and is followed by another slightly less loud thumping noise. Yaru's attitude gets serious for the first time since arriving as he narrowly dodges a bullet that comes at him from behind.

' _What the hell is this aura'_ Yaru asks himself, the mafioso below all share his attitude, rarely have they felt a power on this level.

As Yaru turns around he sees a man in a black and orange suit standing opposite him, a fully grown man, the Hitman Tutor Reborn.

' _What's going on'_ Enma asks himself as he looks up from the floor. The Shimon family boss looks to his side to see the faint remains of pink smoke, _'The ten-year Bazooka, did Reborn use the ten-year Bazooka'_.

' _This is Reborn 10 years from now'_ notes the arcobaleno Fu, _'He's even more impressive than he was in the past, what a monster'_.

Yaru smiles after realising what has happened, he kicks the air in such a way that the air pressure destroys the ten-year bazooka. "The ten-year bazooka huh, no way I'm letting that happen again" says the junior of the duo.

"Chaos" greets Reborn, ironically now unable to use his famous greeting 'chiaosou'. Reborn looks around to take in his surroundings, "I don't remember this… well perhaps time will change again because I'm here".

As his eyes journey around the room Reborn finally finds his most accomplished of students. "So there you are… I can see why I did what I did… Tsuna… boss…. What are your orders".

Tsuna smiles, never did he think that a fully grown Reborn would be here and that he would be so strong, "I need you to defend the family until the 9th gets here… please go all out Reborn".

"Of course, I won't hold anything back" replies the hitman.

Reborn makes a quick calculation in his head, he looks at the age and fighting style of his opponent and determines an attack that he believes can kill him. This level of battle intelligence comes with the thousands of times Reborn has fought for his family, his legendary status enhanced even further in his future.

Reborn leaps into the air and fires several shots towards Yaru, moving his arm in between the times at which the bullets fly causing them to all come from slightly different angles.

Yaru kicks the first few bullets away causing Reborn to smile. _'Just like I thought, fighting has become too much of an algorithmic process for you'_ , as the last bullet hurtles towards Yaru the youth realises that the timing is different to all the others, he was depending on that timing, he is going to get hit.

The hit never comes though, the bullet is caught, caught by the bare hand of another newcomer. This newcomer has long black hair and she has tattoos identical to Yaru and Randa, clearly a third Yakuza member has revealed themselves to the mafia. She has height slightly superior to Yaru and is a similar age to him, maybe slightly older, their similar appearance is justified by Yaru's following remark.

"Sis?" starts the kicker.

Reborn frowns as the woman introduces herself, "Kosuke Lucy".

"Yaru you are an idiot, that was an explosive bullet, not just a bullet with different timing, if you were hit you wouldn't have survived" notes Lucy, "Your observation powers are obviously still too weak to handle something like this".

Yaru laughs at his sibling's bland speech, "Sis you are too harsh, look the Vongola boss is on deaths door already and he's one of the strongest in history".

Without moving her head Lucy looks at the injured Tsuna being tended to by his wife. "Yes I can feel it, he is strong, I guess you have accumulated some merits".

Yaru smiled but was quickly interrupted by his sister, "However I am going to finish things up here, consider it a punishment for your failure".

Reborn contemplates what fighting style Lucy will use, the answer is quickly discovered. Lucy raises her hands into the air as if to beckon the arrival of a great power and what appears around her are hundreds of shards of glass.

Controlled by Lucy, the glass hurtles towards Reborn with great speed, something that the hitman couldn't hope to block. The attack is blocked out of desperation, it is blocked by Tsuna who somehow manages to utilise shield edition by asking Dokuro to move his hands.

"Wow" smiles Lucy, "You're quite strong".

Unable to continue any further Tsuna loses consciousness, his eyes closing as his brain forces the Vongola boss to rest.

"TSUNA" screams Dokuro, not sure if her husband is still alive.

"One block, it seems that was the best you could do" observes Lucy, "In that case…". As she continues glass shards re-emerge around the young woman, the number double that it was before. "It's all over for you now, mafia".

"Not yet" comes a voice from even higher above the flying trio. Floating above them was the 9th, surrounded by what looked like several boulders.

' _Those aren't boulders they are… blocks of ice'_ notices Reborn as he comes to a realisation. The tutor jumps down to see his injured pupils, leaving the rest to the 9th.

"The moment has finally come Yakuza" declares the 9th, "Sawada Tsunayoshi is the one… the one we've been waiting for… the one who can stop you… we have waited a long time to protect him".

As if standing on an invisible floor, the 9th slams down his staff, sending a ring of flames outwards in all directions. As the ring contacts the ice blocks around him the ice begins to melt. The 8 blocks of ice melted to reveal 8 men, these were the most legendary mafia in history, the 8 Vongola bosses of the past.

"So this day has finally come" smiles the 1st as he slowly opens his eyes.

"I've not seen any bosses since him… so it must be the reign of Decimo" concludes the 1st.

"The Yakuza have interrupted his wedding" the 9th informs his ancestor.

The 2nd takes a few steps forward, "this is a special day for the Vongola" he declares as the flames of rage appear on his hands.

Another of the bosses pulls out a pair of pistols, "We won't let you ruin it".

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Yakuza" says Vongola Primo.

"That man" begins Bana, "Is that Vongola Primo". It is like looking in a mirror for Bana, flying above him is the man who spoke to him, who changed him, who put him on the path of good. This man is the source of his DNA. Bana is so drawn to his 'father' that he is the only one of the ultimate flame users able to get back to his feet.

Vongola Primo turns his head and looks down at Bana. "Bana… hello" he greets.

A wide smile appears on Bana's face, the widest smile he has ever smiled, Vongola Primo knew him, that consciousness he had planted in him actually returned to his body.

"Bana, I guess I'm your father seeing as I consider you my son" the elder informs his offspring, "Sorry, I haven't done much for you as a father but please… get Decimo and the others to safety, then I can fight properly".

Bana is on the edge of tears, this is the closest thing he has ever felt to a real family, he had a parent. No matter if he was created by the Yakuza or not, in this moment Bana knows exactly who he is, he is not a Yakuza, he is a proud mafioso, the son of Vongola Primo.

"Everyone, clear the hall" Bana instructs the guests before he turns back to his father. "Thank you… for letting me born… thank you father" he says before walking out with the others.

Vongola Primo smiled as if he felt fulfilled for the first time in his life, "Not a problem".

Bana wasn't the only one hesitating to leave, the other was Xanxus, the son of the 9th. "Old man, what are you intending to do" asks the Varia leader, fearing the worst for the historic leaders.

The 9th sighs, "Xanxus, I think you already know, the Vongola bosses have been waiting years for this moment, we are going to give everything to…".

"I don't want to hear it" decides Xanxus before he turns his back on his father and walks towards the exit. He stops just short of the door to the restaurant, "I will be a proper son when you come back" he says, clearly through a few tears of his own.

"Yeah" smiles the 9th, "We'll go do something together hey, just you and I".

"Yeah" replies Xanxus as he leaves with all the others, leaving a showdown between the Yakuza and the greatest mafioso history has to offer.


	32. The 9 Boss Breakthrough

**BECOMING THE BOSS – THE 9 BOSS BREAKTHROUGH**

 **In the Sky above the Restaurant**

Lucy feels threatened upon the arrival of the bosses. That Vongola Primo is the strongest enemy she has ever fought, granted he was not much stronger than Sawada Tsunayoshi but he was still stronger. Not only Vongola Primo is here but all of the Vongola bosses of the past, they had been sealed in ice, is that the true purpose of the zero-point breakthrough.

Lucy decides not to waste time, she creates several glass shards and launches them at the 1st, trying to immediately take out the biggest threat. The 1st counters using his cape, using it's metallic lining to block the weaker material.

The 3rd Vongola boss prepares his bow and fires an arrow towards Lucy. The velocity of this arrow is unparalleled, few archers in history and none alive today can achieve this speed. As the arrow pushes Lucy backwards the focus of the attack switches.

The 2nd approaches Yaru, wielding the flame of rage as he hits the youngster repeatedly. While his predecessor lays into Yaru the 7th continues to work on attacking Lucy, he fires his gun at her several times and continues to damage one of the world's most promising fighters.

While this fight is going on the 5th seems uninterested in what is going on, lowing a spyglass from his eye he voices his concern. "Everyone, he sensed us… he is coming".

As if it was the ground, an old man walks on the air as he approaches the Vongola bosses. Each step makes the spines of the Vongola tingle, it's as if each time he lowers his foot he is destroying another life. This old man has a vile looking face, he looks as if he has lived for 100 years, he bears the Yakuza tattoos and wears a loose fitting black robe.

"There you are Honda" sighs Vongola Primo, this is the man he has been waiting for, that they have all been waiting for.

"Yes I am here Vongola Primo; it seems like you want to encroach on my space even now" replies the terrifying Yakuza, "You should have stayed away, I've always left you to your own devices… but now you should fear me for I have finally become god".

"I was a vigilante, it was my job to save people from you" explains the blonde haired boss, "you have always aimed to harm people with that god complex of yours, that's why we vowed to stop you".

"It hasn't worked out very well has it?" Honda asks rhetorically.

"Actually" begins a smiling Primo, "It's worked out pretty damn well". Without explanation or provocation, the 1st spreads his arms as if he is inviting the whole world to hug him.

Understanding what their ancestor means, the other 8 Vongola bosses follow suit, surround Honda in a huge circle with their arms spread wide. They surround him in what seems to be a round formation, something that confuses Lucy and Yaru as they watch on.

"You have some sort of special tactic perhaps; do you really think you can beat god" Honda asks of his nemesis.

"Did you ever wonder… did you ever wonder why I developed the zero-point breakthrough while I was fighting you" prompts the 1st, "After all you don't use the dying will flame it is known to seal away".

Like the rest of the Yakuza Honda doesn't have access to the dying will flame, his strength is accessed through more brutal training methods, developed after centuries of war and human experimentation.

"An oversight" Honda suggests.

"No" replies Primo, "It was a technique learnt by every Vongola boss, we used it to seal ourselves away for this moment… this moment when we will seal you away with all our might".

At this moment all of the Vongola bosses dying flames begin to flicker, a flickering abnormal flame. This is the starting of the zero-point breakthrough 'first edition' as Tsuna calls it. Gradually at the centre of the circle ice begins to form, a negative energy pool is generated.

The ice surrounds Honda in the centre, a huge iceberg like structure surrounds the Yakuza boss in the sky and keeps growing. Forming this structure is incredibly difficult, it takes a lot of energy, as such the Vongola bosses begin collapsing, one after another as their energy is used up. They are using up their very life force to seal this dangerous man away.

Watching as his allies collapse around him Primo spares a thought for the only Vongola boss not with them, _'Decimo, take care of the Vongola, the future is yours'_.

The Vongola bosses continue to collapse, Primo remains the boss in the best condition, clearly reflecting the fact he has the most life force to expend. Eventually even the 2nd collapses, leaving only the 1st left alive. Honda appears to be sealed away but 1st doesn't dare to stop using his technique until he physically can't anymore.

Primo doesn't die, his life force is so great that he ran out of stamina before it was depleted. Despite being out of breath he manages to speak a few words aloud for his successor, "You were the boss the Vongola has been looking for… the rest of the Yakuza will be yours to take care of".

Completely exhausted Primo falls from the sky, tumbling into the restaurant where he lays next to the corpses of his comrades. _'Your sacrifice wasn't in vain my followers; we did it'_.

Primo smiles as he closes his eyes but his relaxation doesn't last long. _'What is this demonic feeling'_ he asks himself as he looks at the ice in terror.

The ice around Honda begins to fracture and the ground begins to shake in such a way that it resembles an earthquake. "Yaru, watch out" offers Lucy, "The old man… he's really pissed".

As the ice shatters completely Honda emerges, clearly having suffered damage but still able to stand in the air he glares at his enemy, "Nobody has ever come so close against me in combat… have pride Vongola Primo, your plan which you dedicated hundreds of years of Vongola life towards, it nearly worked".

"How did you escape" Primo breathes out, attempting to yell but he finds himself unable to.

"Naïve, don't ask the question when the answer is obviously right in front of you" scolds Honda, "I've become god… there are no 9 men on the planet who can combine to surpass a god".

' _My guardians, I have failed'_ the 1st thinks in an attempt to speak to the dead, _'Tell me… what the hell do I do now… have I failed'_.

"Are you questioning yourself" asks Honda as he floats down to the ground and stands over the mafioso, "What more could I have done, it's a very human thought, I'm sure I would have done the same thing when I was a mere human".

"But know this Vongola Primo, there is nothing you can do in the face of overwhelming power" declares the Yakuza leader with an overbearing demeanour.

Vongola Primo closes his eyes for a few moments before defiantly opening them, "NO".

"You still have some resolve huh" remarks the Yakuza.

"I thought I had lost all hope but I haven't, I thought I had failed but I haven't" claims the Vongola boss, "I still have something left… the Vongola family is still here".

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, that's his name".

"He is still alive, and his power is within touching distance of mine".

"They used to call him a no-good piece of trash but has risen all the way to Vongola boss".

"He has refused to give up all this time and as his ancestor let me assure you, he's going to beat you".

Honda laughs, "Refusing to give up despite not having any chance, how laughable". Honda turns to look at his two subordinates causing them to join in his laughter.

Honda then turns back to Primo so as to finish him but is astonished by what he sees. The 1st is standing up, looking him in the eye. _'What the hell is that look in his eye… isn't he even remotely scared… dammit does he really believe after all this he will win'_.

As Honda hesitates Primo speaks to his guardians in his head again, _'I understand now, I haven't failed at all, by creating the Vongola I've given birth to the rise of Sawada Tsunayoshi, I've succeeded'_.

As the two ancestors of the mafia and yakuza stare each other down a few seconds pass before Primo laughs, "I win" he says before his eyes close. He died standing up.

"That old fool" begins Honda, "He put in all that effort and endured an agonizing death, did he really think it was worth it just to tell me he had won".

"Old man" yells Yaru to his leader as he receives a text, "I'm receiving word that the mafia are running back to Italy".

Honda ponders for a moment, "This time we will pull the weed out by the roots, we'll take a few months to gather our forces and then we will raid Italy, we will be rid of the mafia".

Everyone had faith in Tsuna when he declared war on the Yakuza, then came this stunning defeat, everyone understood just how outmatched they were. The seed of doubt had been planted in the Yakuza's head though, despite everything that had happened, despite the Yakuza's total victory on this day, the mafia still believed. The mafia still believed in Sawada Tsunayoshi.


	33. The Worst Case

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE WORST CASE**

 **The Vongola Plane Medical Room**

As the plane takes the mafia from Japan to Italy the situation is critical for Tsuna. The medical room on the Vongola family's aircraft is very small, it has an emergency table and a few supplies.

The room only has space for three people inside, an injured Tsuna, Dokuro and Shamal. Dokuro continues to get more and more stressed as Shamal uses whatever tricks he can to keep Tsuna in good condition. Tsuna not only was heavily injured but has overexerted himself leading to many complications.

As the plane comes in to land in Italy Dokuro and Shamal don't bother getting into fastened seats, both veterans of combat, their balance has far surpassed that of any normal individual.

As the plane lands safely Dokuro immediately opens the door from the small room. "Someone call an ambulance now, Tsuna needs to go to hospital" she yells uncharacteristically.

Yamamoto immediately ran over to the small room. "I'll go" he announced, "I can get him to hospital far quicker than any ambulance".

Using the technique originated by Byakuran, the baseball player grows a pair of wings to enhance his mobility. "Find us at the nearest hospital" he instructs his fellow guardian as he carries Tsuna out of the nearest airlock and flies into the sky.

"Dokuro" Hino says, drawing the attention of her daughter for the first time in several hours, "I don't know what is going on but I'm really sorry this has happened on your wedding day".

Having little time to give her mother Dokuro simply nods. "I'm going to find the hospital" she says as she runs out of the door.

"Ken, let's go with her" suggests Chikusa, running after his friends.

"OK" agrees Ken before he joins his partner in running through the streets.

Seeing the confusion on the woman's face, Sawada Nana approaches Chrome Hino and sits next to her. "Mrs Chrome, I didn't know about how deep this whole situation was until recently" she begins, "And now my son… he could die because of it, I feel like we should tell you what is going on".

"Please" begs Hino, "I have to know what my daughter is involved with".

At this moment Dino chooses to intervene now being a mafioso who could be considered highly experienced within the group. "I think the person with the best overall picture is Reborn, he and I can explain everything".

Dino is of course greatly worried for his fellow student, sharing Reborn as their tutor had brought the duo close together. Dino also appreciates that amongst the people present, there is not a single one who is not very close to Tsuna, perhaps he had one of the weakest connections with the newly anointed boss.

"Mr and Mrs Sawada, please hurry to the hospital and see your son" Dino requests. Tsuna's parents shouldn't have to explain the mafia right now, right now they should be with their son.

"I will extreme carry this guy to the hospital" explains Ryohei as he picks up Lambo. These two are the two who Tsuna refers to as brothers and while Lambo is capable of achieving great speeds himself, he does not have the endurance required to run through the streets like Ryohei.

"I hope you can keep up" Ryohei notes as he looks at Sawada Iemitsu.

Iemitsu picked up Nana upon the prompt of the sun guardian, "I may be old but I've still got some skill left within me".

Following their exchange Ryohei and Iemitsu run off after Dokuro and her friends. That leaves Dino and Reborn to explain to Hino what is going on. Prior to their conversation Bianci provides the trio with some water to help calm them down.

"Thank you Bianci" Reborn says gratefully.

"Mrs Chrome, my name is Reborn" begins the Hitman Tutor, "Despite my looks I am quite old now. My job was formerly a hitman but then I was welcomed into the mafia by the gentleman you met before. He was the 9th boss of the Vongola family, he decided I would make a good tutor for mafia bosses".

"I am a mafia boss" Dino declares, "I am Reborn's first student Dino".

"After that my next student was your son-in-law Tsuna, the man destined to become the 10th boss of the Vongola family" explains Reborn, reminiscing about when he first met the chestnut haired kid, "It's true what Basil said, everyone knew him as no-good Tsuna. However, he was chosen alongside his six guardians, the sun guardian Ryohei, the thunder guardian Lambo, the storm guardian Gokudera, the rain guardian Yamamoto, the mist guardian Chrome and the cloud guardian Hibari".

Reborn watches Hino's face as he explains, despite the severity of the situation she employs an expression suggesting she is inquisitive more than anything else.

"They fought many battles against tough opponents" Reborn recalls, "Chrome had the help of a man named Rokudo Mukuro, hence why she changed your family name, it's an anagram".

"I always wandered about the name change" says Hino, "I thought it was about moving on from our turbulent past".

Reborn nods to show he understands, "One day Tsuna's then fiancée Kyoko and his close friend Haru disappeared following a seemingly fatal car crash".

Dino takes his turn to speak, "You need to be married to become Vongola boss and the 9th was particularly desperate for Tsuna to become boss. Tsuna is a fantastic man, the mafia has long since been crying out for a leader like him".

"So Tsuna and Chrome were thrown together as a couple by circumstances" explains Reborn.

"And then they fell in love for real" smiles Dino, noting in his head that the whole scenario was quite dramatic. "They decided to live in Japan, naturally that's where they have all their friends and family".

"So the Varia, the special assassinations unit of the Vongola, they oversaw the construction of a new mansion in Japan" says Reborn, "This must have drawn the attention of the Yakuza, the ones who attacked us before".

"So you're telling me that my daughter is now the wife of the leader of a mafia family, no, the entire mafia" asks Hino with fear in her eyes.

"The mafia have become more like vigilantes under Tsuna's influence" explains Dino, not wanting to give Tsuna's mother-in-law a bad impression of her new relative.

"And so they are at war with the Yakuza, is my daughter going to be alright" questions Mrs Chrome.

"We can't make any promises" begins Dino.

"Then I'm going to take her away from…" starts Hino.

"Please let me finish" interrupts the Chiavarone boss, "we can't make promises however, Tsuna las led us this far through so many challenges, he always gets up, he always protects his family and there is nobody in the world who values Dokuro's safety more."

"A mafia boss who desperately tries to protect his family, never thought I would hear that" sighs Hino.

"Tsuna is different Mrs Chrome, you have my personal assurance that Tsuna's side is the safest place in the world for her right now" comments Reborn, demonstrating his faith in his student turned boss.

Hino pauses for a moment before turning her head away, "Forgive me, I need a moment to process this all".

"Of course" replies Dino, "If you have any more questions Reborn and I will remain on the plane just down there". Dino indicates to Hino where he and his tutor will sit before walking down the corridor, finally dedicating his own thoughts to his leaders wellbeing.

 **The Nearest Hospital**

Tsuna lays on a bed as his family look at him with concern. He has only been here for half an hour but already he has pipes and tubes entering and exiting him from all over his body. Suddenly the group are approached by a doctor and a Japanese translator the hospital has managed to contact.

As the doctor speaks the translator does his job, "He says good job on getting him here so fast" says the translator, speaking to Nana and Lambo, the duo who have yet to learn Italian. It should be noted that most members of the Vongola family were given expert tuition on all the most common foreign languages, something that had been insisted on since the 4th generation of the family.

"He says the pipes and tubes were used to hydrate him, most of them can be removed now" begins the translator, "He says you should thank your doctor, if not for him your husband would be dead right now".

"Shamal…" begins Dokuro, not knowing the words to express her gratitude.

"I was only doing my job" Shamal cuts Dokuro off, not wanting her to concern herself with her underlings right now.

Nana also shares the sentiment as seen when she bows to the Vongola doctor, "Dr Shamal, thank you for keeping my son alive".

"No problem" the Dr simply replies.

"Is my brother going to be OK" asks Lambo, not one for formalities at the best of times.

"He says he will be fine" explains the translator, "But he says it will take a long time for him to get back on his feet".

"Then I need to make preparations" declares Ryohei as he walks towards the door.

"Where are you going" asks a confused Iemitsu.

"I'm going to train" Ryohei explains as if it were obvious, "I'm also going to try and work out an escape plan".

"Escape doesn't sound like you" notes Tsuna's father.

"With brother stuck in bed we don't stand a chance" concludes the sun guardian, "We have no choice".

Iemitsu composes himself for the first time since arriving as he realises what Ryohei is saying. "Then I should do the same, Nana, please call me if anything changes".

"I will, the second it does I promise" Nana responds to her husband as he leaves with the boxing champion.

"Don't worry, I will stay with him" Shamal says gently, "I don't usually treat men but… this man's health is the most important thing in the world right now, I will react as soon as any medical related elements change".

"Shamal, if we are attacked here I want you to take him away" Dokuro in forms her family member, "I will stall for as much time as possible".

"But…" starts the doctor.

"You will be more useful to him than I will in his situation, plus I can stall for time better" the mist guardian justifies, "please don't argue".

"Of course" agrees Shamal as he looks at Tsuna. At this moment there is only one man in the world with a chance at standing up to the Yakuza and he has just escaped death by the narrowest margin. What is going to happen to the world if he doesn't recover.


	34. The Storm Guardian

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE STORM GUARDIAN**

 **An Alley**

Gokudera, Yamamoto and Hibari have come to this alley to seeking somewhere peaceful and quite. Gokudera settles for a moment as he looks around the alley, struggling to believe that it or anything else in the world is real.

"Damn" he says simply as he punches the wall, "DAMN, DAMN, DAMN" he repeats as he hits the wall in time with his curses. The storm guardian should be holding back to avoid drawing attention but he doesn't bother to restrain his power as he creates a fist shaped dent in the metallic structure.

Yamamoto grabs Gokudera's arm to interrupt his friend's tantrum. "There was nothing you could have done" the rain guardian comforts.

Gokudera throws Yamamoto off in frustration. "That's what frustrates me, baseball idiot" he explains, "It's my powerlessness that caused the boss to get hurt".

A moment passes as water drips down from above, the collision of water on concrete and the nearby engines of cars the only things preventing complete silence. Gokudera looks Yamamoto in the eye, "Don't you understand the situation we're…" he begins.

"OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND" shouts Yamamoto as returns his friends gaze with far more intensity. "And I feel exactly the same, we were powerless to help Tsuna" he says as Gokudera averts his gaze, regretting what he said.

Yamamoto calms down for a second before continuing, "I'm a guardian too you know, I know that we will die… my parents are here and they could die to". Yamamoto thinks about his parents; his father has some modicum of strength but cannot begin to comprehend the mafia world. "Have you even considered that I have to explain the mafia to them?" asks Yamamoto.

Byakuran watches on as his student continues, "And I am… I am… I AM NOT A BASEBALL IDIOT".

Finally, deciding to intervene Hibari walks to the arguing pair and slaps the two of them. "What the hell do you think you are doing" Gokudera yells at the cloud guardian.

"You're getting hysterical" Hibari explains without raising his voice. In these situations, Hibari usually opts to train in private or rest somewhere nobody can see him. Hibari's presence in this grouping proves just how serious the situation is.

"You need to sit back and manage this situation carefully" the policeman recommends, "We have a duty as mafia to save as many civilian lives as possible".

Gokudera takes a deep breath after considering what Hibari is saying. "You're right" he says before he turns to the baseball player, "I'm sorry Yamamoto".

Sasagawa Ryohei arrives in the alley, following the directions of several of their allies he is successful in finding his comrades. "I've found you guys" he says, pointing out the obvious as he always has done.

"Brother is going to live" he says with a negative attitude, "But he isn't going to be on his feet for quite some time". Ryohei is an incredibly positive person, always pushing limits and never taking his foot of the gas but even the sun guardian is failing to take all this damage onto his body.

"That is not good news" notes Hibari, the overconfident fighter knowing that he is powerless against the potential attackers.

"Then we need to find a way to defend Italy until he is back in action" notes Yamamoto, it would go against the very principles of the family if they were to flee without even trying to defend the country.

Following a few minutes behind Ryohei, Iemitsu arrives at the alley and joins the conversation. "Everyone" he begins, "I'm going to tell you something you may not be ready to hear".

"What is it?" asks Ryohei.

"We're ready for anything" Yamamoto assures the now former CEDEF leader.

"The Japanese government, the Japanese military, they have fallen to the Yakuza" Iemitsu informs his juniors.

"What" asks Yamamoto in surprise.

" _I can't believe it"_ stammers Byakuran, sharing his hosts surprise.

"The entire country… has been taken?" Ryohei lets the words roll of his tongue.

"I thought the police hadn't contacted me in a while" notes Hibari as he looks at his phone, "This is not good" he says reinforcing his earlier dismay.

An entire country had fallen to the Yakuza, this was unprecedented. The guardians had seen this only once before, when they went to the future and Byakuran took over the world. That situation was different though, the Shimon would have soon taken care of the Millefiore given that they still could have accessed the family treasures.

"I don't want to alarm you but there are some very important people on the other end of this phone" he says as he raises his mobile and dangles it by a string. "They want to speak to the Vongola but it's not up to me anymore, it's your choice if you want to tell them about Tsuna".

The guardians all dip their heads in consideration, Iemitsu is right, they are the ones the entire world is looking towards now, they are not just a golden generation with a lot of potential. "Which one of you wants this call?".

"Gokudera, you are the boss' right hand man, you take it" instructs Ryohei, the eldest of the guardians.

"Leave it to me" says Gokudera, calming himself as he is reminded of his role. Technically at this moment it is Gokudera's job to lead the mafia as Tsuna's right hand man. He takes the phone from his leader's father.

"I suggest you put it on speaker phone so we can all hear" Hibari says to his fellow guardian.

Gokudera nods and pushes the speaker button.

 **The Hospital**

As Nana and Lambo sit by Tsuna's bed neither say a word as they look over their dear family member. The only sound is from Dokuro who seems to be chanting something while holding a lucky charm.

Dino opens the door using a disabled button and wheels in Chrome Hino, drawing the gaze of everyone in the room. Now that Hino is here Dokuro wanders just how much she knows.

"Mother he…" Dokuro starts before being interrupted.

"I know everything Dokuro, I'm not particularly happy that you are involved with the mafia" says Hino, confirming her daughters fears.

"But…" begins Dokuro.

"Let me finish" continues Hino, "I'm not happy but I've been told about what Tsuna has done, I've been told about the overwhelming odds we are facing so I won't leave you at a time like this".

"I'll join you in prayer" explains Hino as she sees what her daughter is doing.

"Thank you" replies Dokuro as she returns to her prayers.

Happy that they have reached an acceptable solution Reborn turns to his student. "In that case we can't afford to wait any longer Dino, we have to go train".

Dino nods to his teacher, "Let's go find Enma".

"Yeah" replies Reborn, agreeing that teaching Enma is one of the most critical elements of the upcoming battle.

 **The Alley**

As Gokudera puts the phone onto speaker he begins the conversation, "This is the storm guardian of the Vongola family, I'm the 10th's right hand man, Gokudera Hayato".

"I don't know what you have been told but this is a closed phone call, there is no chance of anyone listening in and it won't be heard by anyone who isn't listening this very second" begins a man on the other end of the phone.

"Besides yourself, this call contains myself and two other people, only ourselves and our predecessors have known about the mafia's strength for several generations" he continues, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ivan Pinto, I am the Italian Prime Minister, with me on this call is Donato Gallo, the superior general of our armies and Pedro Silva the current pope".

"Nice to meet you all" stammers Gokudera, not quite knowing how to greet such high profile figures.

"What is this nonsense" begins General Gallo, "We asked to speak to the Vongola family boss, not some aide".

"The boss is… he is… he's in critical condition following a fight with the Yakuza" Gokudera decides to inform the trio.

"Damn" curses the general.

"Then it's too late" sighs Prime Minister Pinto.

"Mr Gokudera, is there really no way to protect this country from the Yakuza" asks Pope Silva.

"Perhaps not" begins Gokudera, "I can make some recommendations to you, I know that the Yakuza are likely to come by boat, General Donato Gallo, I suggest you put a blockade out at sea".

"How do we defeat the Yakuza at sea" asks Gallo.

"I'm going to be honest, you don't" explains Gokudera, "Those men and women will be sacrificial pawns, there only purpose would be to slow down the Yakuza's inevitable arrival".

"I can't just throw away the lives of my troops to slow them down" Gallo sternly declares through the phone.

"I'm afraid you have no choice" Gokudera tells the general before switching his attention back to Pinto, "Mr Pinto, it has gotten far enough along now, perhaps it is time you told everyone that the mafia is back to being vigilantes".

Gokudera continues his plea to improve the public image of mafia families everywhere, "We could really use the public support right now… because the next place they are coming is Italy".

Pinto pauses for a few moments, "I will strongly consider your suggestion he says". The reason this has never been revealed to the public before is to prevent a lack of control. If everyone suddenly became super-powered like the mafia it would lead to a world where the strong dominated the weak, something that the system desperately wanted to prevent.

"And Mr Silva" Gokudera prompts.

"You have something you want from the church" the Pope asks with surprise in his voice.

"Yeah" begins Gokudera, "Ask every member of your church to pray for the recovery of Sawada Tsunayoshi because he is your last hope".


	35. Chase Fairy Tales

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – CHASE FAIRY TALES**

 **The Hospital**

It begins to rain as Sawada Nana's eyes are drawn to the window. The rain in Italy perhaps reflecting the rain in the hearts of the Vongola family, Tsuna was not in good condition. He has been moved to another room now that the majority of tubes have been removed from his body, all that is needed now is to quietly wait for him to recover.

' _You will be alright Tsuna, I know you will'_ Nana says in her head. Her thoughts are interrupted as the door to the room opens and three gentlemen step inside.

The newcomers close the door behind them as they enter peacefully and respectfully. _'I know that man'_ Dokuro realises, _'He is the Italian Prime Minister'_.

' _Is that the pope?'_ Hino asks herself as her religious leader enters the room.

"Ah prayer" notes Pope Silva, "may I join you" he asks.

"Of course" Hino replies after recovering from her moment of surprise. At first she considers it strange that the pope should be here but then again Tsuna must be one of the most important people in Italy.

As Pope Silva sits with Hino and Dokuro he joins them in their prayers. The Prime Minister doesn't give time for prayer though, "I'm to tell the country this young man is our last hope" he considers.

"Tell me, is there anything we can do to help with his recovery" asks Prime Minister Pinto as he turns to Shamal, the most composed man in the room before he entered.

"Nothing can change his recovery rate now; it will just be good fortune or bad fortune" Shamal explains as he shakes his head.

"So we are going to rely on luck to defeat the Yakuza" huffs General Gallo, already pessimistic about having to rely on an inexperienced man with super powers.

"If you will forgive my being rude" begins Dokuro with a frown on her face, "You're actually relying on my husband to defeat the Yakuza".

"She's right" says Shamal looking angrily at the General, "I don't care who you are or why you are here, if you disrespect this man, if you underestimate how much he has done for the world I won't forgive you".

As tensions rise between the military leader and the Vongola family the pope takes the chance to change the subject. "Would it be detrimental if we were to move him?".

"I don't believe so, this sort of recovery is often done at home" notes Shamal, recalling the few cases of extreme exhaustion he had treated before, none of them had been as bad as this but they were very similar.

"The problem is Tsuna's home has likely been destroyed" sighs Shamal as he thinks about how much damage could potentially have already happened in his homeland.

"Mrs Sawada" the pope says as he turns to Dokuro, "Your prayers indicate to me that you are a religious woman".

"Yes" responds Dokuro, since joining the Vongola and Mukuro's group the mist guardian hasn't had much time for religious practice. Tsuna is one of the few people to know of her religious beliefs.

"Then perhaps we can move your husband to the Vatican" suggests the pope. "It is there that god will be most in touch with him".

"I would appreciate that greatly sir" replies Dokuro.

"I will see about having some people move him safely" says Prime Minister Pinto as he heads for the door, presumably to make a call or speak to the people who had come with him.

' _Tsuna, I know you're not religious'_ Dokuro thinks as if she were speaking to her husband, _'but please let god save you this one time'_.

 **On Mount Vesuvius**

Yamamoto is training on the side of Mount Vesuvius. The rain guardian chose this spot because it seemed unlikely that anyone would find him. Telling his parents about the mafia had been difficult for the baseball player and the phone call from Italy's three officials had driven home just how severe the situation was.

Yamamoto has no time to take in the gorgeous views or the gentle rumbling of the volcano, the rain guardian swings his sword continually with the aim of making it faster and quicker.

" _This won't be enough"_ Byakuran says to his host.

"What do you mean" Yamamoto asks aloud, taking this rare opportunity to communicate with Byakuran using his voice. Yamamoto had agreed to keep Byakuran's presence a secret, there was no benefit to revealing it to the others and there was plenty to be lost.

" _Even if Tsunayoshi recovers it won't be enough, not with how you are right now"_ Byakuran explains to his student.

"Then what do you suggest I do" the swordsman questions finally stopping his routine and turning to look at the white haired ghost.

" _Chase fairy tales"_ Byakuran says as he smiles his widest grin.

"Fairy tales?" Yamamoto asks incredulously.

" _Head to England"_ the former Millefiore boss instructs without explaining himself.

"Why would I want to go there?" asks Yamamoto. As bizarre as it seems, with his flying speed the rain guardian could get to England and back within a few hours but those few hours could be very precious, he doesn't want to waste them.

" _You're a swordsman"_ begins Byakuran before Yamamoto nods for him to continue, _"The sword in the stone"._

"The old legend?" Yamamoto continues to speak questioningly, not understanding his mentors train of thought.

" _That's right, currently Excalibur should be in the stone where Caliburn was originally taken from"_ Byakuran explains to his student, _"It awaits the next successor to King Arthur, it could be you"._

"So we are just going to take a chance on my destiny" Yamamoto notes, struggling to accept that this option is worth pursuing.

Byakuran pauses, " _I've entrusted the fate of my family to you for this long and you haven't let me down. Just keep walking forward and your path will be clear, let's go to England"_.

Yamamoto ponders for a moment before agreeing to the suggestion. As the baseball player packs away his sword and prepares for the journey he turns to his ghostly friend.

"Byakuran, when you have a body what happens next?" asks the rain guardian.

" _You will have lived up to your end of the deal"_ Byakuran finishes.

"And we will just part ways?" Yamamoto concludes.

" _We could"_ begins the former Millefiore boss, _"But I would be rather disappointed if we just our separate ways after all this time we have spent getting to know each other"._

"I won't leave you, you have my word" Yamamoto promises sincerely.

Byakuran laughs cheerfully, _"Then let's go my friend"_ he says, launching Yamamoto's flight towards the British Isles.

 **The Yakuza Headquarters**

The Yakuza Headquarters is a tall building previously registered to a private company. It is on one of the upper floor the Honda regularly dines on whichever meal he decides upon. Today the Yakuza leader is sat at the head of a long table, half way down on either side sit the siblings Yaru and Lucy.

"I'm disappointed in the two of you for not being able to finish off any of the Vongola" Honda scolds the siblings as he rests his chin on his hand.

"Our sincerest apologies sir" offers Lucy, eager to avoid offending the man she considered the most terrifying in the world.

"There is no point holding a grudge against your allies" Honda lectures the duo, "Just make sure you kill them next time".

Yaru is more impulsive than his sister, "I was going to do that before you stuck your nose in sis".

"You are too flashy and inefficient" Lucy talks down to her younger brother, "you should focus more on the killing blow".

"I don't want to hear that from you who failed to finish them off" retorts Yaru, recalling that his sister had also failed to kill any Vongola.

Ignoring the bickering siblings Honda interrupts, "Yaru, your sister is right, next time kill when given the opportunity".

Yaru reluctantly gives in, "I will take your advice to heart sir" he says.

"Good" Honda praises, "Oh, it seems the food is arriving". Honda claps his hands to indicate that the people at the door can enter.

A variety of men and women enter, they all share the same dirty, dull brown clothing style and have a tag on their arm. These people had never seen the inside of the Yakuza Headquarters before and the two Yakuza siblings didn't recognise them.

"Slaves?" Lucy says aloud, hoping Honda will explain.

"It's only natural now that we have taken Japan, we must make full use of it" Honda informs his subordinate, "The time has long since passed since we have needed to hide our powers".

Yaru observes the slaves as they bring in food and place it on the table, not daring to be clumsy as they beautifully presented the various delicacies to himself and his comrades. _'It's only been a few days; these people can't have been treated very well'_ Yaru decides but doesn't dare to voice his doubts.

"Why not enslave the weak" Honda continues, "What is the point of becoming strong if you cannot impose your will on those below you".

"It just seems a bit… extreme, that is all" Yaru mutters, questioning whether this is acceptable.

Honda laughs at the green haired boys doubts, "When you remove the restriction factor humans call morals, everything suddenly becomes black and white, then you don't this principal of extreme anymore, you either have good or bad. Wouldn't you agree people bringing you the finest food is good".

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Yaru says, still not fully convinced but deciding to drop the subject as he helps himself to the best dish he has ever eaten.

After taking a bite of his food Yaru's focus changes completely. "Sis this is fantastic; we have struggled all our lives but the master has brought us to the point where we can casually eat food like this".

"Yeah" agrees the elder sibling as she takes a few bites of her food. Suddenly Lucy stops and looks at her food with concern.

Yaru starts, "Sis is something…".

Before her younger brother can finish Lucy summons glass behind her and uses it to kill the nearest slave. Yaru watches in horror as the screaming slave is cut repeatedly with the glass.

"Did some of you try to poison my sister's food" Yaru says as anger creeps onto his face.

"It's overcooked" huffs Lucy much to Yaru's surprise.

' _She killed him just for that'_ Yaru says to himself, astonished that his sister would go so far.

Honda only has praise for the glass user, "Now you are beginning to understand Lucy, the slave caused you displeasure, he's not someone you care about personally so you can just kill him".

' _Just kill him, is something like that really OK'_ Yaru ask himself.

Yaru's train of thought is interrupted as a young lady with tied blonde hair enters. This lady has the tattoos of the Yakuza and she wears glasses to aid with her vision. Yaru and Lucy know not to underestimate this woman, she is very important to the Yakuza. As for her name, they only know her as Kara.

"Master" Kara calls to Honda.

"Kara, has something important happened that you must disrupt my meal" Honda says as if he has a bad taste in his mouth, contrary to the food he is currently snacking upon.

"What you predicted has come true" begins Kara, "the Italian Prime Minister is speaking now".

As Honda gestures to the nearest screen Kara switches on the TV and changes the channel to the news station. On the screen in an office setting was the Italian PM Ivan Pinto in his finest suit, addressing the nation of Italy and the rest of the world.

Half way through his speech Pinto continues, "I'm sorry for keeping this a secret for so long but now that all has been revealed I implore you to put your faith in the mafia, they are the only ones who can stop the Yakuza".

"But their leader, Sawada Tsunayoshi is in critical condition" explains Pinto, "So please hold him in your prayers, please pray for him, no matter your religion, no matter your faith, do whatever you can for him".

Kara turns off the TV following the speech and turns to her master, "It seems their boss is in poor condition".

"They can pray all they want, I am this world's only god" Honda pronounces, "Worshiping their false deities is the first sign of their admittance of defeat".

"What course of action should we take" asks Kara.

"Just continue preparing for the invasion of Italy while defending against any attacks" instructs Honda, "now leave us".

"Yes" Kara responds with a bow before leaving the room with only the eating trio and some highly stressed slave workers.


	36. A Shout to the Heavens

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – A SHOUT TO THE HEAVENS**

 **The Vatican**

Gokudera has come to the Vatican to see his boss. Arriving he spends little time admiring the incredible architecture and famous artwork, what happens in the next few days is far more important.

As Gokudera follows the directions he was given towards Tsuna, he looks at the aforementioned artwork as he passes. _'This artwork represents one day in human history'_ he says to himself, _'the 10_ _th_ _'s recovery will determine what happens to our race for the rest of eternity'_.

As the storm guardian enters a large room filled with the inhabitants of the Vatican his eyes are not drawn to the world famous religious figures, they're drawn to his unwell friend.

"Mr Gokudera" the pope says rising from his knees as he meets the stand-in leader for the first time, "We have brought Mr Sawada here so that our prayers may best reach him".

Gokudera nods gently to the pope without looking away. As well as the various cardinals dressed in their traditional clothing, Nana, Lambo, Dokuro and Hino are also praying for Tsuna.

Gokudera respects the silence and whispers to Pope Silva, "The Vongola family really appreciates what you've done, though I don't know what help it can be". Gokudera worked for an engineering company at home in Japan, as a man of science he has little time for religion and faith.

The pope smiles despite Gokudera's lack of faith. "Here" he says as he places his hand on the guardian's shoulder, "Come with me".

As the duo walk Gokudera begins to realise where they are heading, somewhere he never thought he would go. The famous balcony. Gokudera feels it is slightly wrong that he was to be allowed to walk here, although he isn't religious he still respects the importance of this place to the Christian people.

As Gokudera walks out onto the balcony, into the damp weather Italy is unaccustomed to he notices something shocking below. The square is filled with thousands of people, more than he had ever seen gathered in one place. The thousands are all silent as they share a unanimous prayer in their hearts, a prayer for Tsuna's recovery.

"They all heard Prime Minister Pinto's broadcast" explains Pope Silva, "They have come here to pray, to pray for his recovery, to pray for the Vongola family, to pray for their salvation".

"It's amazing" Gokudera admits, religion is a force with the power to move millions if not billions of people all over the world. Historically religion has led to many wars, it's not always been a good thing but right now it is what millions are relying upon to save themselves, blind faith in a deity they've never encountered to save a man they've never met.

"Perhaps you would speak to them" suggests the pope.

"Me?" asks the storm guardian with surprise.

"I spoke to Mrs Sawada, the younger one" begins Silva, "She explained that her husband considered you his best friend".

"Boss…" mutters Gokudera, not sure how to respond to such praise, especially from the man he most respected in this world.

"I'm sure you can tell these people about him" the pope justifies, "You can do him the true justice I cannot".

Gokudera nods and the pope explains how a speaker system has been set up for him to talk to his followers. Today was an important day for the church hence why the system was set up.

Speaking into the microphone Gokudera began, "I'm here" he started before realising that he didn't need to speak so loudly into the microphone.

"I'm here to tell you about the 10th Vongola boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi" he said to the people below.

"I've been in the mafia all my life, it's been in my family, we have historically been mobster and enemies of the people" continues Gokudera, getting increasingly nervous as nobody below makes a sound.

"After the 1st Vongola boss, Vongola Primo left for Japan we descended into the realm of being criminals" he says in perfect Italian.

"I also went to Japan a criminal but then I met Sawada Tsunayoshi" Gokudera says with a smile, losing his nervousness when he recalls that Tsuna was the focus of this speech and not himself.

"He taught me that no matter if you are Vongola, Varia, Millefiore, Shimon, Arcobaleno or not mafia at all, you can still be friends" Gokudera explains.

"He stopped us being a criminal organisation, he set us along the righteous path, he saved us".

"He saw so many people set us along the wrong path and he stopped every single one of them, he made the decision to fight evil".

"Evil affects us all, it's an enemy each and every one of us has to face".

"Right now we are all facing the evil that is the Yakuza and we are facing it together, does that make us allies suddenly… no it does not" says Gokudera, causing a lot of heads in the crowd to drop in disappointment.

"It makes us friends" yells Gokudera, raising the heads of the crowd members.

"Yesterday we were, mafia, some of us were criminals, some of us innocent civilians, perhaps Christians, maybe Italians but today we have to cast that all aside, look proudly in the mirror and call yourself an enemy of the Yakuza because you are HUMAN".

As a look of resolve appears on many people's faces Gokudera continues his explanation, "Tsuna has fallen into critical condition fighting our enemies and we don't know when he will wake up, but it has to be soon".

"I want him to be OK, I want to stop the Yakuza, I want to save the world but the reality is I'm not strong enough, I can't do it alone" confesses the storm guardian.

"So please all of you, lend him your prayers, put him in your thoughts, no matter what your religion, no matter what your faith" requests Gokudera.

"No, do more than that, please help me put into words for him… Sawada Tsunayoshi" the storm guardian continues.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" the people join him in saying.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" repeats Gokudera.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi" the crowd says following the mafioso.

This mantra continues for several minutes, Gokudera not having the will or heart to stop until he turns to his side where Dokuro stands clearly tearful about the current situation. Dokuro says something to Gokudera, something that none of the crowd is privy to.

Gokudera enlightens the people below on what Dokuro told him. "He's awake" he yells at the top of his voice causing the greatest wave of relief and joy in history.

As Nana helps Tsuna limp out onto the balcony Tsuna is astonished by the sight before him, not quite knowing what to make of several thousand people chanting his name. The Vongola boss turns to his right hand man and hugs him, thanking him for whatever he had done, it had worked.

Pope Silva comes to a realisation. _'It's on this day that the earth has finally seen another miracle'_.

 **The Yakuza Headquarters**

As Honda invites Lucy and Yaru into the dining room once again he gestures to the TV. The duo turns their heads to the screen to see the news they least wanted to hear, Sawada Tsunayoshi had made a miraculous recovery while the people of the Rome called his name.

"That was good luck" comments Lucy, refusing to use false deities to justify the 10th's miraculous recovery.

"A pity, their luck is the only thing we have to fear, not these false gods they preach about" sighs Honda as he continues to snack on some bread.

"A real life miracle" notes Yaru, struggling to hold back a smile as a result of his astonishment, "Who would have thought they would be so luck".

Seemingly without justification glass appears behind Lucy's back as the elder sibling violently uses her powers to end the life of another slave.

Yaru removes the hand he used to cover his eyes while his sister went on her tantrum, "Where are you going" he asks urgently.

"To train" Lucy huffs as she storms out of the dining room.

Despite Lucy becoming crueller and increasingly abandoning her morals Honda laughed as she stormed away. Yaru takes his eyes off the bloody corpse on the ground and looks at his master.

"Perhaps it's not such a bad thing after all" decides Honda, "Their good fortune will only serve to make our side stronger".

Yaru nods, "I will go train too" he declares, not wanting to fall behind his sister and the rest of their comrades.

As Yaru leaves Honda speaks to the television as though the person on the screen can hear him. "Good work Sawada Tsunayoshi, Vongola 10th, your recovery is the signal of Italy's doom".


	37. A Handshake to end it

RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – A HANDSHAKE TO END IT

 **Tintagel, England**

It is raining in the south west of England, the downpour heavy enough to reduce tourism significantly. Yamamoto Takeshi however isn't deterred by this weather, on the contrary after becoming the rain guardian the baseball player has learnt to enjoy the rain.

The tour guide of the sight is not impressed, a young woman who seems eager to get home, was being forced to provide a tour for only the single customer. Earlier she believed that today would be a quiet day, only for this Japanese gentlemen to arrive and demand a tour despite the appalling conditions.

"And this is the famous sword Excalibur" says the tour guide with a total lack of enthusiasm.

The sword is mounted firmly in the stone, by Yamamoto's estimations no ordinary man could pull it out.

" _Can you feel that, there is something mystical about this sword"_ Byakuran explains as he fixes his eyes on the legendary weapon before him.

" _Yeah"_ replies Yamamoto as he listens to the tour guide continue.

"Of course this isn't actually the original sword in the stone" she explains, "historians postulate that Excalibur may be even harder to remove".

" _I wander what sort of power King Arthur himself had"_ Yamamoto says to Byakuran.

" _Who knows, I guess it will be similar to the power the sword grants you"_ speculates the ghost. Of course King Arthur pre-dates the mafia and therefore nobody knows just how strong he was.

"We offer all guests the opportunity to remove the sword, please go ahead, I know you want to" recites the tour guide in a manner so scripted it made the rain guardian chuckle to himself.

"Right then" starts Yamamoto as he walks towards the sword, "Don't mind if I do".

The baseball player decides to use the simple method first, he grabs hold of the hilt and gives Excalibur a sharp pull, nothing happened. This alone speaks volumes about how tightly the sword is pushed into the stone, Yamamoto's physical strength far exceeds what is accepted by most people as human limits.

Deciding to try more sensible methods, Yamamoto injects his rain dying flames into the hold of the sword as if he was planning to use it in combat. As the blue flames seep along the length of the sword Excalibur begins to vibrate, creating a small but noticeable sound.

' _What is this'_ the tour guide asks herself, _'Could it really be'_.

Yamamoto isn't straining himself by injecting these dying will flames, his recent training with Byakuran has increased his overall levels of power meaning he has a lot more flames to inject. This type of advantage has always belonged to the sky flame, to be able to control this volume of rain flame shows that Yamamoto is a genius.

As the sword begins to slip from the stone Yamamoto closes his eyes and smiles. Finally giving the sword one sharp pull, Excalibur frees itself from the stone, showing itself to the world for the first time in centuries.

"So this is Excalibur" marvels the rain guardian, forgetting to speak to Byakuran in his head, "It's so sharp, so aerodynamic".

" _It suits you"_ replies Byakuran, _"Evidently you were born the successor of King Arthur"._ At this moment Byakuran finally acknowledges in his head that Yamamoto has surpassed him, in terms of destiny, his students is definitely greater than his own.

The raven haired guardian looks at his new weapon for a few moments with a smile on his face. Suddenly he breaks out of his stupor and turns to the tour guide he had forgotten about.

"Can I keep this?" Yamamoto asks rhetorically.

Now her turn to break out of stupor the tour guide tries to stop Yamamoto, "Wait a moment I…".

"See you". Yamamoto grows his wings and flies off into the distance before the lady has a chance to rebuke him.

" _She didn't say yes you know"_ tuts Byakuran, _"That's almost like stealing"._ Despite his damming accusation the former Millefiore boss seems to be wearing a permanent smile on his face.

" _Well she said she offered me the chance to put it out of the stone"_ retorts the ghost's student.

" _Yeah but she didn't say you could keep it when you did"_ reaffirms the white haired tutor.

" _Well she should have"_ laughs the rain guardian, _"It was her fault for being too slow"_ he decides as the wind flows through his hair.

Byakuran chuckles at his friend's declaration, _"I guess so"_ he agrees as he watches the world go by.

It is time for the duo to return to Italy and show off their new prized possession.

 **The Vatican**

After stretching his legs for half an hour Tsuna is walks around in a circle several times, as if to prove to himself that he is capable of doing it. Smiles adorn the faces of all who watch him as they realise that their prayers have worked.

"Your recovery rate is remarkable Tsuna, one could even say it is miraculous" comments Shamal as he watches his boss stretch his legs.

"Yeah" replies Tsuna, "Perhaps this really can be put down to a god after all".

To hear the leader of the mafia, say this is a great boost to all the faithful members of the church who have spent all their lives in the Vatican. Their job is only half done however, now they need to pray that this recovering hero is able to defeat the greatest threat that the world has ever seen.

"Mr Pope, thank you for bringing me here" begins Tsuna as he bows to Pedro Silva, "Thank you for being with my wife and mother-in-law in their prayers".

"Think nothing of it" replies Pope Silva, "We are all children of god here".

The Vongola boss then turns his attention to his other family members, "Mum, little brother, are you both alright, in the attack by the Yakuza were you hurt?". The others shake their head, it's typical of Tsuna to be concerned with the welfare of others in a time where his is of the greatest concern.

"We are fine Tsuna, we're just really glad you're up and walking again" replies Nana with a smile on her face.

"Lambo would be sad if you died" yells the thunder guardian with surprisingly touching sentiment.

"It would upset me if you died too Lambo, I promise I won't let that happen" swears the elder Sawada brother.

Deciding not to waste any more time, Vongola 10th turns to his right hand man, "Gokudera, let's talk".

"Yes boss" replies the storm guardian with a smile.

"Dokuro, Lambo, Shamal, you guys better start preparing for the fight" orders the newest boss. Tsuna is not one for giving orders but he knows it is very important at the moment. The trio disappear, delighted to be following the orders of their boss once more.

"Mum, I know it sounds unimportant but can you look after them, make sure they are fed healthy meals and kept clean" asks Tsuna.

"Leave it to me" replies Nana, "I know that every role is of great importance from now on".

Tsuna finally turns back to the engineering supervisor, "It's time to talk with you as my right hand man".

"Of course 10th" Gokudera enthusiastically replies.

"Mr Pope, do you have a private room where we can talk without being overheard" requests the mafia boss.

"Of course, follow me" the Pope politely agrees to the request and begins to lead the mafia's leading duo through his beautiful corridors.

 **The Private Room**

The room is rather plain considering the extravagance of the remainder of the building. This bothers Tsuna and Gokudera little, the two of them have far more important things on their minds right now.

"How bad was it… after I went out" asks Tsuna, hanging his head as he fears the worst.

"Thanks to the intervention of the previous Vongola bosses, we all got out of there alive" Gokudera explains, trying to sound positive, "Unfortunately all of them died, including the 9th".

Tsuna sighs, "I understand". While the death of the previous Vongola bosses was regrettable it was something that Tsuna feels little despair over. The 9th however is a tough pill to swallow for the entire mafia, he was the most important mafioso in the world for many years, a great loss to the underworld and the world as a whole.

"Then it is time for my training to begin" the 10th declares resolutely.

"10th, given the condition you are in, well you could…" begins Gokudera.

"I die if I do and I die if I don't" Tsuna interrupts his friend, "At least give me the chance to save everyone".

Gokudera's expression transforms from a frown to a small smile, "Alright, I know better than to try and stop you". It is thanks to the likes of Gokudera that Tsuna has changed so drastically in recent years. Formerly he would have been tempted to curl up into a ball and hide but now nothing would stop him from trying to protect his friends, his family.

"I have a favour to ask" Tsuna says as he turns to look at his cloud guardian.

"There are no favours between friends" remarks Gokudera, "Just tell me what you want and I will do my best to provide it".

"Train me" requests Tsuna.

"Me?" Gokudera replies with confusion.

"Yeah" says Tsuna.

"But the trainers you have had in the past" begins the storm guardian as he lists them off, "Colonello, Reborn, Lal Mirch, the Future Hibari, Xanxus, I can't really compare to any of them".

"No, I guess there really is no comparison, all of them have helped me along my journey immensely" Tsuna sighs.

This puts Gokudera into a slight depression, he believed this to be the case but he never thought his boss would put him down verbally in such a way.

"But" Tsuna begins, pulling Gokudera's eyes back to the boss, "I've never comes close to choosing any of them as my second in command, it's always been you Gokudera".

"I have faith in you and I chose you, you are a genius who understands more about the dying will flame than anyone" Tsuna reminds him. There is a lot of truth in this, while Tsuna, Bana and Enma have all taken the dying flame the furthest amongst the current generation, being able to manipulate it and understanding it are two different things. Gokudera proved himself a genius in the comprehension of the flame when he created system CAI.

"Please, I need your help" Tsuna pleads with the storm guardian.

"10th" smiles Gokudera, "I could never turn down your cry for help, we'll figure out a way, you and I. We'll figure out a way to defeat the Yakuza".

Finishing his sentence Gokudera extends his hand to Tsuna. Tsuna firmly grasps Gokudera's hand and shakes it, a handshake to end the Yakuza.

"They will fall the Yakuza" Tsuna says as if promising it to himself, "They will fall before the alliance that is you and I".

"Yeah" replies Gokudera.


	38. The Backup Plan

RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE BACKUP PLAN

 **A Military Training Yard, Rome**

The Italian military have received instructions from General Donato Gallo, they are to help the mafia in any way possible. As such the sergeant was happy to provide Tsuna and Gokudera with their training yard.

The yard is mostly constructed from concrete and tarmac, and to one side there is an assembly that Gokudera believes to be an obstacle course of some sort. The duo elects not to spend much time focusing on it and instead concentrate all their efforts on researching the zero-point breakthrough. As a result, the 10th is performing the zero-point breakthrough repeatedly while the engineering supervisor collates information.

As the day rolls on the sun begins to set but the pair continue their training, unwilling to use the stellar body as their standard. As the yard is basked in an orange tinge, another of Reborn's students approaches the 10th and his right hand man.

"Tsuna, you wanted to see me" greets Dino. Normally the Chiavarone boss would enjoy sharing formalities with his juniors. The bucking bronco treats the Vongola family members as if they were his own but right now there is no time to stand on ceremony.

"Yes, I have an important job for you Dino, it's the most important job of all" replies Tsuna, as he again begins to go through the motions of the zero-point breakthrough. The Vongola boss affinity to the move has only grown as time goes on.

"You are going to be organising the mafia for this fight" Tsuna says matter-of-factly.

"Organising it" starts Dino, "What do you mean?".

Tsuna continues to perform the technique, not stopping his speech as the dying will flame begins to flicker, "I want you to distribute our strength amongst groups, come up with a core fighting force and a plan of attack".

While everyone is busy training themselves for the arrival of the Yakuza it has been easy for them to forget that they must collaborate with the military. Coming up with a plan of attack which takes their supernatural abilities into account is something only a fellow mafioso can do, therefore Tsuna has chosen Dino for this responsibility.

"Most importantly of all" Tsuna begins with a sombre tone, "I want you to make a plan of escape".

"A plan of escape" exclaims Romario, Dino's second who follows him everywhere he goes.

"Why are you putting any thought into that, we can't afford to fail in the first place" shouts Dino, knowing that Tsuna's state of mind is crucial to the future of the mafia and the world.

"No, as long as one person with knowledge of the dying will flame escapes, there is still hope" explains Tsuna as he smiles at the flickering flame in his hands, "As long as the flame does not quietly die in this upcoming battle, the fight is not over".

"Why me" Dino asks hesitantly, doubting his own ability to fulfil such an important role.

"You are one of the few mafia bosses I truly believe in and trust with all my heart" Tsuna compliments his brother figure. "Enma is on the verge of mastering the ultimate dying will flame, we can't afford to divert his attention so I need your help".

Dino perks up when he hears the calm explanation of his leader. "I understand; I will immediately commit all Chiavarone family resources to this task". Acknowledging the request of his leader, Dino hurriedly returns to his car with Romario, resolutely deciding to produce a high quality plan as soon as possible.

 **Inside the Car**

As Romario begins to drive the car back towards the Chiavarone HQ he notices how quiet the roads are. Normally this time of day delivers quiet driving conditions, however it has never been this quiet before.

' _It's because of the incoming threat'_ Romario concludes to himself, _'Everyone is spending as much time with their family as possible, they know this could be it for them'_. After concluding this Romario casts his eyes to his mirror where he observes the agitated state that his own boss is in.

"Sir, you are good friends with that boy" begins Romario, "Tell me, did you not want to say a few more words to him".

"Tsuna is far too busy for that right now" replies Dino, "We have to make use of every second available to us". As Dino speaks he realises that he too has to adopt this philosophy to the maximum. The Chiavarone boss picks up his mobile phone, "I'm going to phone ahead and have the family prepare some space to make the plans".

Romario takes note of his boss' enthusiasm, "I understand sir" he concurs, "I will make full haste". Romario takes advantage of the ideal driving conditions and puts his foot to the floor, who cared if he got a fine for speeding now.

 **The Coliseum, Rome**

At the apex of the coliseum one can see for miles around, Rome is a beautiful city from atop this structure. Once Sawada Iemitsu sat not far away in a coffee shop and questioned if a Vongola would ever fight in the gladiatorial venue. A short while ago the closest thing possible happened, a Vongola family member fought through the security guards then climbed atop the structure.

The man in question is Xanxus, who is sitting with his legs dangling over the edge as if he were a child once again, using gravity to swing his legs for entertainment. His cape flutter gently in the wind, though not enough to impair his hearing, he still hears the arrival of his subordinate.

"You're a difficult man to find in these situations, boss" moans Squalo as silently walks to the edge and joins Xanxus in dangling his legs.

"The old man, he died back there didn't he" Xanxus asks as he looks down into his lap. He hasn't been crying but as far as Squalo is concerned it's the closest he has ever come to it.

"Yeah" replies Squalo gently, "he died".

"I'm not angry" declares Xanxus much to Squalo's surprise.

Squalo has followed this man for many years, assassinated so many people for him that he has lost count. All along Xanxus had one defining characteristic, rage, anger, hatred, spite, all different names for the same burning fire that could be seen behind his eyes. Yet now in his darkest hour, Xanxus proclaimed not to be angry.

"I'm just… I'm just" whimpers Xanxus.

"Boss…" starts Squalo.

Xanxus sniffles, "You followed me because of my rage, my anger".

"I followed you because I believed you had what it took to accomplish your goals" Squalo contradicts his friend, "Rage was a part of that but not all of it".

"Squalo is it wrong… is it wrong just to be sad that he is dead" asks Xanxus as he sheds the first tear Squalo has ever witnessed him shed.

"Of course it is OK" shouts the sword-master, "You're the boss, it's OK for you to do anything".

"You can feel rage; you can feel pain".

"You can feel happiness; you can feel serenity".

"You can feel all of those things because you're a human being".

"So you have to do what any other human being would do under these circumstances" Squalo says as if giving parental instruction to his boss.

"What do I have to do" asks Xanxus.

"You have to stand up, you fight, you make the Yakuza regret the day they touched our family" yells Squalo.

"Yeah" replies Xanxus, "I will make those bastards pay, I will make every last one of them pay for what they did to my father". As Xanxus clenches his fist and ignites the flames of rage, they burn brighter than ever before, not because of his anger, not because of his hatred but because he is finally acknowledging his emotions as those of a human.

So Squalo and Xanxus follow the lead of Gokudera and Tsuna, an alliance to end the Yakuza. Never in history has one group provoked so much rage from so many and that rage is being reflected, in the palm of Xanxus hand.

 **The Yakuza HQ, Japan**

Entering the dining room used frequently by Honda, the mysterious Yakuza Kara doesn't bother to take in the incredible decor surrounding her. The only thing that concerns Kara now is the same thing that has always concerned her, the satisfaction of her master, Honda.

"Master you have called me" calls Kara as she respectfully bows her head, not daring to upset the man who referred to himself as a god.

"Tell me, how many slaves have died by my hand since we have taken Japan?" asks Honda.

"By your hand, just over 200 master" Kara instantly recalls, as if it has been taught to her since birth.

Honda simply nods, "How many slaves have fallen to your sabre?".

"50 master" Kara recites.

"How many has Lucy killed with that glass of hers" Honda asks with a smile expectant smile.

"She has been overawed by your example master" claims Kara, "She has killed nearly 400 slaves".

Honda laughs a sadistic laugh, ignoring the food falling from his mouth as he enjoys the feeling of having influence over his subordinates. "That's good, she's a good girl indeed" claims the Yakuza leader.

"And what about Yaru?" Honda questions, "How many has he killed with his boots?".

"None master" Kara replies in a move that silences the room. She questions if she has upset her master, truly it is not her fault however she recognises that delivering bad news to god means he has the right to lash out at you.

"That's not very good" Honda says calmly, relieving Kara of her fears, "The boy has not done enough to kill the weakness that is morality".

"Shall I dispose of him master?" Kara quickly questions.

"No, no, nothing like that" Honda replies quickly, "I am going to force him to do it".

Kara sighs internally, she has been down this road before, if the master is determined to change someone's nature, it always works. Never before has someone been better off for his conditioning, if you value your sanity, you should just aim to obey him.

"And at the same time… well I will improve two assets at once" Honda smiles cruelly.

"What action would you like me to take master?" Kara asks before Honda gets impatient.

"The slave quarters, bring both Yaru and Lucy there" demands the Yakuza boss.

"I will do so at once master" nods Kara as she departs to round up her fellow Yakuza members.

"This is going to be an interesting little experiment" decides the self-proclaimed god, his intentions as malicious as ever.


	39. Can you do it

RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – CAN YOU DO IT?

 **Yakuza HQ, Slave Quarters**

The slave quarters are uncared for; they show no concern for the welfare or happiness of the slaves. They consist of bunk beds, triple layered bunk beds with no room to raise your body in the night. The bunks raise all the way to just short of the ceiling, an old stone ceiling. These quarters, just like all the others were constructed mostly of stone, the moisture highly unpleasant and certainly not suitable for living with.

As the Honda becomes slightly agitated by the smell he considers whether he should allow slaves to have a shower occasionally. His thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of his most trusted aid.

"They are here master" Kara informs Honda before turning her body to the side, "Should I excuse myself now". Kara knows that whatever the master has planned is undoubtedly highly unpleasant and perhaps even degrading.

"You stay here; I will be interested to see how you react to the situation" orders the Yakuza boss.

"Yes" replies Kara as she shuts the door behind her, her eyes as lifeless as ever as the large metal frame slams into the rectangular hole. Kara locks the door knowing that her master probably didn't want any of the slaves running. The metal thump sends a noticeable chill down the slave's spines.

As the adults amongst the slaves position themselves between the children and the Yakuza, Honda turns to his subordinates. "Yaru, Lucy, what do you think of the slave's quarters" he asks as he gestures with his hands as presenting a grand hall.

"I… it is horrible" starts Yaru, struggling to get out the words for what he wants to say, "I don't want to have to be in here another second". His green hair flutters around as his head darts from side to side, taking in every corner of the room.

"I don't care" Lucy says blandly, "I am not the one who is living here so I feel no pain". Lucy knows that her brother is staring at her, she could feel his eyes burning a hole in her head. _'Who cares about him though, it doesn't matter if this pains him, I feel no pain'_ she says to herself.

"That is the correct answer Lucy" Honda says as he claps his hands together and laughs maniacally. Finally settling down from his amused turn, he looks to the younger of the siblings, "But you Yaru, you were more hesitant".

"It's not that" replies the expert kicker, waving both hands in front of his face, "I'm just commenting about the living conditions". Fearful that the boss may further pursue the issue he elaborates on the most obvious issue he can find, "I mean the smell is so bad I'm struggling to bring myself to breath, if we found being here pleasant then wouldn't we decorate our rooms this way".

"I see, I suppose you are right" replies Honda with a contemplative look, "Then you wouldn't hesitate to kill a slave if I asked you to".

The question causes Yaru to start, he dares not to hesitate though, he clenches his fist and resolutely answers, "I wouldn't hesitate".

The young Yakuza member feels a pang of guilt as all the slaves gasp and the children tighten their grip on the adults. It isn't that long ago that he and his sister were children, struggling to survive after losing their parents, desperately clinging to anything they can. Now that the Yakuza had saved them they were on top of the world but there were plenty just like they were, who suffered.

"Then go ahead, show me you can do it" Honda instructs.

"Why" Yaru quickly shouts in reply, not realising how dramatic he is being, "They haven't even done anything to upset me yet".

Honda frowns and twiddles the hair from his grey beard, "I thought you said you could do it".

"I can do it" Yaru strongly claims, "I just don't understand what it achieves". In the past Honda has always demonstrated the murder of slaves as a manner of revenge, as punishment when they do something wrong. Previously it has always been to the end of improving their performance, this would just be murder for the sake of murder.

"It doesn't motivate them like killing them when they have done something wrong, aren't I right" Yaru asks as he turns to his sister. The younger sibling is struck when he realises that his sister isn't reacting in the slightest, if anything she is annoyed that he is hesitating. Turning to Kara provides no relief to Yaru, she looks into his eyes with her own dead looking pair, uninterested in his opinion or the situation as a whole.

"I see" Honda says, causing Yaru's head to swing back around, "You are misunderstanding something my boy, we don't kill them to teach them a lesson, you can't teach dead people a lesson" explains the Yakuza boss.

"We kill them so we have the pleasure of knowing that none who have crossed us have lived" he finishes.

Yaru clenches his fists, _'Then why are you killing these people and not Sawada Tsunayoshi'_ he thinks to himself, knowing better than to vocalise the opinion.

"Can't you do it" Honda asks, "Don't worry, I thought you might struggle, that's why I have brought some motivation along".

Catching the elder sibling by surprise, Honda appears behind Lucy and grabs her hair firmly. As Lucy's hands go to the back of her head her defence is stopped in its tracks as the elder slams her head, face first into the stony floor.

As Lucy screams in pain Honda chuckles to himself, "Oh, you are screaming already, we haven't even got to the painful part yet".

Yaru isn't angry as he would if anyone else attacked his sister, he is just afraid, what is he going to do. Lucy doesn't struggle, infuriating the mam, the god who promised that she would experience even more pain would only make things worse for her, their fates had long since been in Honda's hand.

"Kara, hand me the modified cane" orders the old man.

Kara reveals that she has been holding a weapon all along, as Honda had implied the weapon looked a lot like a cane with some modifications. The modifications are what scares Lucy the most. All along the length of the cane are small rusty spikes.

"I suggest you kill one of them quickly Yaru" begins Honda, "Because what your sister is about to experience will only stop when you do".

Yaru looks on in horror, paralysed by the deadly weapon threatening his sister. Honda continues, "And what she is going to experience feels like this". The old man slams the cane down into Lucy's back.

Yaru closes his eyes and holds his ears as his sister screams blisteringly loud. The slaves follow suit from Yaru, many of them believing that a scream that loud could burst their ear drums.

"Nothing yet?" Honda questions as if he is surprised, "Perhaps you're not screaming loud enough Lucy, oh well, once again".

As Honda hits Lucy a second time she screams even louder than the first time. Earlier Yaru thought that the conditions in this room were sickening but it was nothing compared to having to watch his sister go through this.

"Stop, I'll do it, I'll do it" Yaru shouts to the torturer.

"I would stop talking about it and do it" suggest Honda as he continues to hit Lucy.

As quickly as he can, Yaru kicks the nearest slave he can find into one of the stone walls. The death was quick and painless, Yaru had been merciful although that is the farthest thing from anyone's mind at this moment.

As Yaru falls to his knees he begins apologising, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, so sorry, I couldn't, I couldn't".

A few of the slaves question whether Yaru is talking to his sister or to them. "Sorry" mutters Lucy incredulously, "TO HELL WITH YOUR APOLOGIES". Lucy throws her arms out to the side, using her full power to throw glass at every slave in the room, the walls formerly damp with water are now damp with blood.

As Yaru starts at the bloodbath he has just witnessed, his sister mimics Honda's actions from earlier and slams her own brothers head into the blood drenched floor. Lucy senselessly snatches the cane from her master and repeatedly hits her brother with it, far harder and more often than she had been hit with it herself.

"You deserve to die for what you have done" shouts Lucy as she raises the cane one more time.

Suddenly a hand grabs Lucy's wrist before she can lower her arm, this hand belongs to the calmest person in the room, Kara.

"That is enough" Kara proclaims

As a moment passes where everyone remains still in silence Yaru is the first to move. It is an unconscious movement, the young Yakuza had fainted, the pain too much for him to endure.

"Bitch" yells Lucy who still hasn't quenched her thirst for blood, "What do you hope to gain by stopping me".

Kara calmly explains, "That boy is still a valuable pawn for the master, I can't have you damaging him too much".

Lucy screams once again as she leaves the room, as her scream fades into the distance Honda's laugh eventually becomes discernible by Kara. "You played your part perfectly Kara" compliments the self-proclaimed god.

"Thank you master" bows the young woman.

"I am retiring to my bedroom, see that Yaru has his wounds tended to" instructs the old man as he walks out of the door.

Kara looks around the room and confirms her previous assessment, when the master comes up with this sort of idea for improving his assets, it doesn't end well for anybody.

 **The Shimon Training Field**

Enma and Reborn battle furiously to train themselves for the incoming threat. As the Shimon family watch in astonishment their boss creates a black hole next to his young looking opponent.

In retaliation to the creation of the gravity centre, Reborn fires a special bullet into the black hole collapsing it. Enma charges Reborn and the two exchange punches and kicks, a close range fight which few people on the planet could even hope to keep up with.

Suddenly Reborn leaps backwards, away from Enma with his guard down, signalling to Enma that the fight is over. Enma follows Reborn's gaze to his side, where a pink haired woman is standing.

"Cervello" exclaims Enma.

"What do you want" asks Reborn impatiently.

"I have come per the request of an acquaintance of yours, Dino" the Cervello explains.

"Dino, what did he want" Enma asks.

"The two of you are to attend a face to face meeting with some other leading mafia members" the Cervello declares before she hands each of the pair a small card with some information on it.

"Very well, message received" says Reborn before he continues training with Enma.

 **The Old Varia HQ**

In the dark and intimidating headquarters of the Vongola assassination squad, another Cervello is approaching the Varia leader, Xanxus.

"Lord Xanxus" the Cervello prompts, as respectful as ever towards the man they have known for a long time.

"What do you want" Xanxus replies.

"I have come to invite you to a meeting of several mafia members" she explains as she hands Xanxus the card with the information on it.

"I don't have time for meetings" Xanxus replies.

The Cervello smiles having anticipated this reaction, "Bucking bronco says the authority comes from Sawada Tsunayoshi himself".

Xanxus facial expression changes slightly, reflecting his new found respect for the aforementioned Sawada, "Fine, I will be there".

 **The Chiavarone HQ**

"Are they ready" Dino asks of an approaching Chiavarone family member.

"They are ready sir, of course they are only ceremonial" responds Dino's subordinate.

"Good enough" replies the bucking bronco, "It is a symbol, that's all it needs to be… have the invites been sent".

"Yes sir" Romario answers, "They have been told to come here this evening, I have had the rear yard set aside and isolated for you".

Dino is happy but has no time to smile, "Good work Romario, I want you to start working as an overseer on the escape plan, I'm working on the battle plan".

"Understood" declares the second in command as he moves to another room in the headquarters.

"Right, so how do we counter-attack" Dino asks the group that have been working on the battle plan.

The heroic strategy of Dino against the devious plans of Honda, who will win in the battle for Italy.


	40. The Seven Great Mafioso

RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE SEVEN GREAT MAFIOSO

 **The Chiavarone Headquarters, The Secret Room**

The secret room is dimly lit, a result of having no windows and the light having not been used in years. A few Chiavarone family members had worked quickly to make the room useable however cobwebs could still be seen on the walls. Spiders were not enough to scare any of the people present in this room however.

Dino stands at the centre of a semi-circle, allowing him a good view of all the legendary figures that had been gathered today. Looking at the people surrounding him Dino begins to realise why his training was dispensable to Tsuna. He wouldn't last more than a moment if he was to fight any of these people.

"Thank you for coming" Dino says in a raised voice, trying his best to project it to all of those who had gathered, "I know we are in a hurry so I am going to make this brief".

Dino took a deep breath to calm himself down, just standing in a room with such powerful people is hard. Certainly they are all capable of retracting their aura so as not to intimidate people but right now they had to keep their auras active to improve their strength. The presence of those auras made it hard for Dino to even breath.

"The aim of this meeting was to gather the most powerful people we could, to organise the core fighting force against the Yakuza, such was the request of our leader, Sawada Tsunayoshi" Dino informs the guests.

"Here today are the Hitman Reborn, Shimon Boss Enma, Varia Commander Xanxus, CEDEF Leader Basil, Vongola boss Tsuna and the newest addition to the mafia's forces Vongola Bana".

Bana looks to all the others who have gathered, _'The way they are looking at me, besides Sawada I get the feeling none of them trust me'_. Bana smiles to himself, _'Well I guess that's only to be expected, after all I killed Byakuran and other than Tsuna himself, I could do the same to any of them'_.

Xanxus in return is also concentrating on Bana, _'He was created by the Yakuza so it's probably not safe to take him into battle with us, but I know the boss won't keep him away from it. I'll keep an eye on him for now. If Bana is on our side then it's a good thing, I'd much rather be with him than against him'._ Xanxus recalls that when the 1st came to save the group who followed the 10th there did seem to be a familial respect between Bana and Primo, perhaps he wasn't so bad after all.

"Dino, why have you brought us here?" Tsuna asks with a smile, refusing to become impatient even when time is so crucial.

"Firstly you are all here representing an official group, except you Vongola Bana" Dino points out, looking to the former boss candidate.

"I…" begins Bana.

"He's part of the Vongola family, that makes him part of my group" Tsuna interrupts before Bana has the chance to say anything else.

The two who fought in the 'battle of the successors' share a smile knowing that they and their followers were on the path to reconciliation.

"That's true but I think it would be a waste to not give that group an important job in the mafia" Dino replies, "To that end I have been thinking about what official role you could play".

Dino continues, "Then I thought about the disappearance of the Vendicare, after they went to guard the Trinisette that left open the job of the mafia police, congratulations on your new job Bana".

"The mafia police" Bana says to himself in surprise.

"With the Vendicare busy elsewhere we were always going to need a replacement eventually, especially now that we have gone public about our powers, do you and your group accept the role" Dino asks.

"Of course we do" Bana smiles.

"Then that changes things, now we have gathered the strongest arcobaleno, the strongest Shimon, the strongest Varia, the strongest of CEDEF, the strongest Mafia Policeman and the strongest Vongola" Dino happily declares.

"I get it" says Reborn as he looks towards his eldest student, "You're gathering the strongest from each group, other than myself that means the leaders. I assume the empty spot is for Byakuran's successor".

"That's right" answers the Chiavarone boss, "The Cervello did say she found Byakuran's successor but I never gave any thought to who it was".

At that moment the door to the room creaked open and Tsuna's rain guardian stuck his head through it.

"It looks like I've come to the right place" notes Yamamoto, "I am Byakuran's successor, the strongest from the Millefiore family".

"Yamamoto" Tsuna exclaims.

Yamamoto walks towards the empty spot in the semi-circle and begins to explain how he has become Byakuran's successor. "The techniques I've been trained in the person who trained me…".

The strongest Millefiore looks to his side, realising that Byakuran wanted his presence to be kept a secret. As the ghost is looked upon by his student, the white haired teacher nods his approval to continue the story.

"The techniques were taught to me by a ghost of Byakuran" explains Yamamoto, "I know that won't be easy to accept but if you think about the techniques I used in the battle of the successors it makes sense. Anyway you don't have a choice right now".

"We're expected to believe this?" yells Xanxus with his arms stretched wide. As Xanxus turns to look at his boss for support he witnesses the calmness in Tsuna's eyes. "I forgot who I was dealing with, of course you all believe it".

Tsuna puts on a serious expression as he straightens his suit, "You may be representing the Millefiore now Yamamoto but don't forget that you will always be a member of the Vongola family, no matter what".

"Thank you Tsuna".

"There's not time to press the issue Dino" Reborn points out, "Just let Yamamoto take the role of the strongest Millefiore".

"Fine" answers the tall blonde as he opens a small box he has been holding by his side. "I have had these created for each of you, they are rings, ceremonious rings to show that you are one of the seven great mafioso".

"These designs have been sent all over the world, should you need help from the army, the police or even the general public just show them this ring and they will do it" explains Dino.

"These rings contain the last pieces of a rare type of crystal, emulating them is completely impossible so you won't have to worry about the Yakuza impersonating you. They are a sure-fire form of identification".

Dino watches as the seven pass the box between them, respectively taking their engraved rings. This old dusty room is hardly a fitting spot for the making of such history but it is best they speak where they are able to keep secrets.

"The seven of you represent our strongest members, therefore the plan of attack will entirely be based around your capabilities, some of which may need to change".

"Tsuna, you have to defeat that man at all costs, so you just focus on becoming as strong as possible as quickly as possible, to that end you can leave if you wish" smiles Dino.

"Good work Dino, I knew I could count on you" yells Tsuna as he leaves the room.

"Yamamoto, your style is already quite unique" deduces the Chiavarone boss, "You can also leave but please make yourself familiar with the Millefiore if you are to be their boss from now on".

"Roger, I was going to do that anyway" smiles Yamamoto as he heads towards the door.

"Xanxus, the way you fight with guns is hard to change, they are a great part of your strength just as they were the 7th's, you may also leave" declares Dino.

"Bringing me all the way here just for that, you sure are cheeky trash" announces the Varia leader as he follows the two before him in leaving.

"So as for the first change, your style has to change Reborn, it's too similar to Xanxus'" Dino sighs, "With your dependence on guns… is there any way for you to change".

"Of course, who do you think you are talking to" the Hitman asks rhetorically, "I can go back to an old weapon I used".

"An old weapon" starts Dion.

"Yes, how do you think I taught you how to use that whip so proficiently" smiles the tutor.

Dino returns the smile, recalling the days when Reborn would scold him for whipping himself instead of his targets, "Then Basil, Enma, Bana, you three are the biggest problem, you all have identical styles".

"I've been focusing on obtaining the ultimate flame" Basil informs the four left in the room with him, "However the 9th has left some of his old staffs behind, I could try using them".

"Please do your best" Dino respectfully asks, "So Enma, Bana, have either of you trained in weapons before".

"Yeah" is the response from the Shimon family boss, "I used a hammer once, I only did it for a bit of fun but it was actually very effective with my style, I will try to pick it up again".

"Thank you Enma, what about you Bana".

"It looks like we could perhaps do with more ranged weapons" Bana notices, now that Xanxus is their only long range fighter, "I could use the bow, a ranged weapon dependent on the strength of the user, however I will need a good bow string".

"I can have some people help you with that, you can have however many resources you need" says Dino inciting gratitude from the newly declared mafia police chief.

"You've done a good job Dino" decides said chief, "I just hope that it's enough to defeat the enemy".

 **The Millefiore Family HQ**

After the invasion of Japan, the Millefiore family had been glad that they decided not to demolish the former HQ. The ability to just walk back in and carry on has already been invaluable to the family.

On the top floor a room is beautifully decorated with chandeliers and old Italian wallpaper. Bookcases line the walls filled with a strange variety of manuals from all over the world. At the end of this room there is a desk with a young woman leaning over it as a result of what she is being told.

"What do you mean you're taking charge, I won't let you just walk in here and do that" Ganma yells at Yamamoto.

"Never mind that Ganma" Yuni calms her most faithful guardian, "You're saying that a ghost of Byakuran is with you right now".

" _I've told you tell them I used the technique Yuni showed me, I'm part of consciousness now"_ Byakuran harshly instructs his host.

"Fine, I'll tell them but it's too confusing if you ask me" Yamamoto replies. To Yuni and Ganma it appears as if he is talking to the air beside him.

"He claims that part of his consciousness has been stored in my brain, he says you showed him the technique Yuni"

"Do you believe this guy" Ganma snorts sarcastically.

"I believe him" Yuni replies.

"Yuni…".

"This is a secret Millefiore technique and the one who taught Byakuran to use it was indeed me" begins Yuni, "But I need one more bit of proof, ask him something for me".

"You can ask him yourself, he's floating right next to me" Yamamoto informs the Millefiore boss he is potentially replacing.

"Why did he form the new Millefiore family that day before the rainbow war, he told me at the time, ask him what he said" requests Yuni.

The ghost chuckles in his usual nonchalant manner, _"Who knows"._

"You don't know" Yamamoto yells at his master, frustrated that he would be so forgetful at such an important time.

"He can't have forgotten" Yuni declares resolutely.

"Well he didn't say that as such, he said 'who knows'".

Ganma steps back in surprise when Yamamoto says those words.

"That's it" whispers Yuni, "That's exactly what he said that day".

Ganma sighs as he gathers himself. "Well I'm not the kind of man to ignore what has been proven to my face, that guy must be with you, it would explain how you have learnt all these techniques from the Millefiore family".

Yamamoto smiles as Ganma continues.

"I feel that I should challenge you on Yuni's behalf, I believe she deserves to remain the Millefiore boss, however I know that I couldn't beat you".

"Sorry about that both of you" Yamamoto laughs as innocently as ever.

"Let's enjoy a healthy relationship, welcome to the Millefiore family" Ganma says as he shakes Yamamoto firmly by the hand.

"Welcome boss" adds Yuni as she politely bows to Yamamoto.

"Thank you for understanding both of you, I promise I will do my best to represent this family and together, we will play a vital part in the downfall of the Yakuza".


	41. The Hidden Potential

RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE HIDDEN POTENTIAL

 **Tsuna's Training Yard, Italy**

The night has passed, the night that will go down in history as the night where the seven great mafioso first gathered to counter the Yakuza. On this night Vongola Bana was made chief of the mafia police and Yamamoto Takeshi had been promoted to the leader of the Millefiore family. Several fighting styles had changed dramatically in one moment.

For Sawada Tsunayoshi nothing has changed, he himself never encountered Honda, only a few of the late comers even got a glimpse of him. Tsuna could feel him though, the terrifying leader of the Yakuza, his energy was tangible. Both the Vongola boss and the Yakuza leader know that their encounter is so inevitable that it could be referred to as destiny.

It is to the end of countering this great threat, the strongest person that the Vongola have ever faced, that Tsuna was allowed to keep training in his current style by Dino. All night he has been continuing his work, helping Gokudera obtain data about the zero-point breakthrough. Going for so long without sleep is not healthy but the Vongola boss supreme physical conditioning means he can keep performing at the highest level.

Gokudera had requested during the night that a few military personnel create a small shelter for them to work in. The Italian military did not like to disappoint, especially under the orders of General Donato Gallo. The shelter was exactly what Gokudera needed, it is fitted with plenty of workspace, a lot of storage and enough plugs to power a small office.

As Gokudera sits in the shelter he analyses the date he has collected from Tsuna's zero-point breakthrough. Gokudera uses his computer expertly, switching between graphs so quickly Tsuna barely even has time to look at them over his shoulder. _'All these graphs seem like an alien language to me, yet he understands them so thoroughly'_ smiles the boss.

"You're quite amazing you know, with all this sciency stuff" compliments the chestnut haired mafioso.

"Well I've always worked hard to understand the dying will flame" smiles Gokudera, recalling the days when he developed system CAI to counteract the Millefiore family. The Millefiore ruled the future with an iron fist, the threat they presented pales in comparison to the Yakuza however.

"You never know when this stuff might come in handy after all" continues the storm guardian as he tries to fill the silence.

Tsuna looks outside the shelter at the pouring rain, and howling winds. Gokudera had been wise to request this construction, the two of them would be OK with getting wet but Gokudera's laptop likely wasn't.

"Perhaps" begins Tsuna, not taking his eyes off the dripping water, "Your foresight will turn out to be the thing that saves us".

"I hope so" begins the white haired supervisor, "Haru always used to argue with me about it" he says with an ironic smile. He and Haru always used to shout at each other, of course that was just who they were but now that they have come to blows it is a painful memory.

"She thought you worked too hard" presses the 10th, eager to give any advice or help he can to his most faithful follower.

"Yeah, she wanted me to spend more time with her" explains Gokudera, he shrugs his shoulders, "Perhaps she was right, I think I neglected her too much retrospectively".

Tsuna places his hand on Gokudera's shoulder, "We all make mistakes Gokudera, you are no different".

"Instead of looking to the past in regret why don't you plan for the future".

Gokudera continues to look at his screen as he types away on his keyboard. His nostalgic smile still clings to his face, "You're right of course, after all this is over I will work hard to make things right with Haru".

Tsuna smiles and thinks back to his memories of the couple. He recalls when he and Kyoko would travel to expensive restaurants with them, sampling the benefits of the Vongola lifestyle. Not all the times were easy going, the foursome also went to dangerous mafia meetings, he and Gokudera had tried to talk the women out of coming with them but they were determined to play their part. Now Haru and Kyoko had become strong, they had progressed.

Since splitting with Kyoko, Tsuna has found happiness again, he had a wife. He and Dokuro had been thrown together through circumstance and had fallen in love by chance, he had moved on from Kyoko. Gokudera hadn't been so fortunate, Haru's re-emergence had come at just the wrong time in his life. The Vongola boss truly hoped that Gokudera and Haru could find happiness together again.

"No matter how far gone she is, no matter how far I drove her away, I will pull her back to being the Haru we all knew and loved" Gokudera declares with fire in his voice. It is a promise he is making, not a promise to Tsuna, not a promise to Haru and not a promise to the Vongola. It is a promise to himself.

"You're a good man Gokudera Hayato".

Gokudera opens his mouth to thank his boss for his support but is cut off when the final graph finishes rendering, this is the most important graph in the eyes of the supervisor. This is the graph to change things.

"It's just like I thought" the cloud guardian declares, his voice quiet as his whole body shakes in anticipation. "We can do this; you can do this 10th".

"What is just like you thought" Tsuna excitedly questions.

"Look at these absolute measurements of flame prominence, the different colours represent the different attributes" Gokudera explains as he taps the screen with his pen.

"When you use the zero-point breakthrough the other attributes prominence spikes".

"When I go into the minus" Tsuna asks incredulously, "That can't be right".

"No, when you are fluctuating between the plus and zero" replies Gokudera, "The whole time these spike".

"Amazing" gasps the boss.

"If we make full use of this, we can make a new graph where we assume your flames go into a parallel level. When you use the zero-point breakthrough you constantly fluctuate in the y-axis but you have a slight x axis shift until your breakthrough when you shift back again".

Tsuna looks at Gokudera with an innocent and blank expression, hinting to his friend that he has lost him completely.

Gokudera tries to explain again, "If we can push you further into the x-axis" begins the storm guardian, "No, I'm getting ahead of myself, what I'm saying is that with a few minor adjustments we can improve your power output massively".

"Good work Gokudera" shouts Tsuna as a huge smile comes to his face, "Who would have thought that science is where we would win this battle".

"Yeah, that's going to ruin the victory song" notes the storm guardian.

"The victory wine will be fine enough for us to talk about for a life-time" counters the 10th, knowing that the Vongola had plenty of methods to get some very fine wine.

"Let's do this Gokudera".

"Yeah".

 **The Yakuza HQ**

In the medicinal area of the headquarters one of the Yakuza's youngest members is recovering, Kosuke Yaru. Having been beaten by his sister with 'the cane' he is in poor condition. His wounds are not life threatening but would not allow him to be participate in a fight.

Yaru slowly begins to wake up and become aware of his injuries. _'Perhaps'_ he thinks to himself, _'This will delay our invasion of Italy'._

The first person the green haired Yakuza sees upon waking up his blonde haired comrade, Kara. She has an empty look in her eyes as she stares into the distance, she knows Yaru has woken up but remains emotionless in spite of it.

"Why did you let him do that to my sister" Yaru asks. Yaru surprises himself by not being angrier. Right now his main concern is his curiosity about this woman.

"The master is the strongest, therefore he has the right to do whatever he wants" responds Kara as if rattling off a fact for an exam.

"I… I guess that's so" Yaru sighs, "Then we each have to become stronger in hope that one day we can do whatever we want".

"I have undying loyalty to the master" Kara explains, "He will always be the strongest".

Kara's answer only confuses Yaru more, who is Kara and why is she here. Why does she hold such undying loyalty towards a murderous old man like Honda yet not fear him at all? Yaru decides not to press the issue anymore.

Suddenly Yaru notices a third person is in the room with them. A young girl, maybe 8 years old. The girl has striking blonde hair, obviously she has died it. What is even more striking than her hair and age though is her actions. The young girl proceeds to dance around Yaru's bed playing a trumpet.

"Who is this little girl" asks Yaru.

"That's Sakura… she has no family name anymore" explains Kara.

"Nice to meet you" Sakura breaks her performance before quickly returning her mouth to her instrument.

"She's really… really good" notices Yaru. "How can she be this good at such a young age?" asks the boot user as he looks back at Kara who seems to be a fountain of knowledge.

"I'm really glad you like my performance" Sakura yells before Kara gets a chance to answer, "Let me play another piece for you".

Yaru doesn't lash out at the young girl for her rudeness. It is clearly just a symptom of her youth and inexperience. As Sakura begins to play another piece the green haired Yakuza smiles in response, her music truly is masterful.

"Sakura was sold to the Yakuza a few years ago" begins Kara, "We were going to use her for… well it's unpleasant to talk about so let's not go there".

Yaru feels sick to his stomach hearing that this talented artist had been purchased, she was a person not a commodity. He dreads to think what she was going to be used for.

"We didn't sell her in the end, the old man quite liked her music and he… the master saw her value".

"Sakura plays music because it makes sad things go away, it makes annoying things go away and it makes bad things go away" Sakura cheerfully yells to Yaru, "Don't you think so".

"You shouldn't indulge her too much" suggests Kara.

Yaru frowns at Kara's suggestion of neglecting the young girl. What had this young girl gone through to get here, she is clearly special, her music something to be cherished.

"Yes I agree" begins Yaru, "I don't feel sad anymore Sakura, could you keep playing your music".

"Yes" yells Sakura in reply, delighted that someone has found interest in her talents. Since the takeover of Japan there has been too much sadness around, interest in her art has become rarer, not even the slaves appreciate it.

Carrying some medicine, a slave makes the mistake of running into the room unannounced and uninvited.

"I have brought some…".

At this moment without any warning, an ethereal wave of distorted space launches from the end of Sakura's trumpet, a transparent wall of sound that travels towards the slave. As the wave hits the unfortunate slave his entire body shatters, disappearing in an instant.

"Annoying things go away" Sakura recalls using the exact same tone she did earlier.

Sakura apologises before continuing to play her trumpet, "Sorry, I forgot my performance".

' _She doesn't hesitate to kill and she is so strong at such a young age'_ notes Yaru, _'No wonder she is valued so much by the old man, she has so much hidden potential'._

 **Bana's Training Yard**

Bana has returned to his group with his big news. He contemplates how to deliver the news, some of his group are pessimistic about their relations with the mafia as a whole. The clone decides to simply declare it and see what happens.

"We have been given a new job" explains Bana as his guardians look at him, "We are to be the mafia police".

"Mafia police?" questions Sorata.

"What an interesting job" Tokata decides, smiling at the thought of having many worthy opponents to test his skills against. This gives him new limits to break through.

"But does this mean they are placing their full hope in us" Sorata asks as he turns to his enthusiastic colleague.

"Well I wouldn't get your hopes up" suggests the knife wielder.

"Who cares if they believe in us or not" says Lancia. Lancia has never been a man of words, he has always been a man of action, enforcing the mafia laws upon the mightiest fighting groups in the world is likely to be full of action. If they are to enforce the rules, then it matters little whether people have faith in them or not.

"They don't" Kyoko says with pessimism thick in her voice, "They are just trying to placate us".

Bana frowns as he looks at his sun guardian. Perhaps Kyoko would be the hardest of the guardians to get through to, she had felt the most betrayed by the mafia. She had felt betrayed by her ex-fiancée who was the golden boy of that mafia. Seeing him move on with another woman had undoubtedly been a bitter experience for her.

"They believe in us" Bana tells his guardians, fully believing himself that Tsuna has faith in his group, "And it wouldn't matter even if they didn't".

"This is what Tsuna talked about, it's an ever changing mafia, this is our big chance to prove ourselves. We are now a huge part of the mafia world; we can make a name for ourselves starting now".

"Make a name for ourselves huh" Haru smiles at the prospect.

"I like the sound of that" says Lancia.

"I suppose it is a chance as you say" concedes Kyoko.

"Wherever you lead I will follow you Bana, that is unconditional" promises Tokata.

"It sounds fun to me" laughs Sorata.

"Then for our first task I need all of you to help me to learn, I am going to practice the bow from now on. With help from the Chiavarone family we are going to get the strongest bow string and bow imaginable".

"Then" Bana continues, "We will show the Yakuza that the mafia police are no pushovers".

"Yes" the mafia police declare in unison.

Irrespective of whether the mafia has faith in them or not. They are united by their faith in each other.


	42. The Little Things

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE LITTLE THINGS**

 **Tsuna's Training Yard**

After a few hours of sleep Tsuna is back up and training in the morning. He casually flickers between the plus and zero points of his hyper dying will flame. Of course doing this with the ultimate flame would be have greater results but that would be a huge waste of energy. Tsuna has always struggled with the ultimate flame, it was not until after the battle of the successors that he managed to manipulate it by himself.

The Vongola boss was eating healthily and exercising appropriately however his sleep was less than it should be. 3 hours was all he slept last night, not because he struggled, he slept like a log but set an alarm for early in the morning.

Gokudera has had even less sleep than his boss, all throughout the night he has continued to look at the data on his computer, experiment with the results and run further tests. Gokudera hadn't planned to go to sleep, he had fallen asleep in the shelter and only awoke half an hour later when he accidentally knocked his mug off the work surface.

Four visitors approach the group; they had struggled to get in past the extensive military security but they had managed to do so when they had been identified. The four were Dokuro, Ken, Chikusa and Ryohei.

"How's it all going Tsuna" Dokuro asks her husband as his hyper flame flickers.

Tsuna looks away from his flame and over to his wife. Not looking at his flame doesn't hinder the boss' concentration, using this flame has become like breathing to him now.

"I'm not used to all the science but Gokudera makes it tolerable" smiles the 10th, "It must be hard for him to dumb it down for me".

Dokuro looks to her fellow guardian, predicting ahead of time that he would speak up and insist that Tsuna is not dumb. She is surprised however when he doesn't, he says nothing at all. The bags under his eyes and dumb look on his face shows just how tired he is, it's a surprise he is still able to work at all.

"Yeah I'll bet" laughs Dokuro, not wanting the silence to linger unnaturally so as the storm guardian would notice.

"What does this button do" asks Ken as he reaches towards a large green button.

"Don't touch that" yells Gokudera, seemingly coming to life for the first time since the visitors have arrived.

Tsuna and Dokuro share a laugh at Ken's antics. Tsuna stops flickering his flame and embraces his wife.

' _Normal couples honeymoon after the wedding'_ Tsuna recalls before putting the thought to the back of his mind. The two of them don't have time for any freedom, they can do whatever they want once the Yakuza are dealt with.

"Ken perhaps it would be better if you put your hands in your pockets" suggests Chikusa after the couple finish their laughs.

"Oh all of you just shut up" Ken retorted, clearly irritated at the suggestion he was getting in the way.

Finally, Ryohei speaks for the first time, "You seem relatively laid back Sawada".

"How do you mean" Tsuna asks.

"I thought you would be training to the extreme" Ryohei says with his usual over-the-top demeanour.

"That's just it, we don't have enough time for that to make a difference" explains Tsuna. The more he does physical training the less improvement he will get out of it. While it is always possible to improve the improvements will just get slower and slower. By the time the Yakuza arrive Tsuna may be able to improve by 10% which wouldn't be enough to defeat them.

"Yeah, I understand brother" replies Ryohei, "It's like with a boxing punch, the little things make a big difference when you're at such a high level".

"The little things" mutters Gokudera, drawing everyone's attention as he once more breaks from his trance, "Sasagawa you may have just found a way".

"A way to do what" the boxing champion asks.

"While I am running calculations on this data" Gokudera says while he points at the screen with his finger, "You get to train the 10th to throw a punch".

Dokuro is stunned, was this supposed to be a joke. Tsuna up until a few months ago was recognised by many as the strongest person in the world. He was the mightiest mafioso who had defeated the Varia, Millefiore, Shimon and Vendicare. Why would he need help to throw a punch?

"Train him how to throw a punch… seriously" Ryohei asks with a raised eyebrow. He also believes that Gokudera has gone mad, perhaps less coffee and more sleep is the answer.

"He's right" Tsuna announces, causing everyone else to start.

"Tsuna" Dokuro mumbles.

"All this time I haven't learnt any technique at all" the 10th begins, "If my punches were to get twice as strong in my base form that's merely a few hours of instruction. If that were to happen though, my maximum power would increase enormously".

The sun guardian scratches his head, "I'm not sure I get it" he begins, causing Gokudera to almost fly into a rage. "Regardless, I will teach you how to throw my patented extreme punch".

Tsuna sweatdrops, "I'm sure a normal boxing punch will do Ryohei".

"Good luck" Dokuro yells as her two fellow guardians find a bit of space to practice the basics.

"So how is your training coming along" Gokudera questions Dokuro, realising how absent he is behaving and trying not to make others concerned for his welfare.

"My training, I don't really know how to describe it" replies the mist guardian as she looks up in her own eyes. Training to use the six paths of reincarnation is not like normal training. It doesn't require mindless repetition or physical exertion it requires the user to become more brutal. This does not play to Dokuro's strong points.

"It's one step at a time" Dokuro decides with a positive tone. What Dokuro does is insignificant to the war effort and she knows that, compared to the like of Tsuna, Bana and Reborn she was weak. She, Ryohei and even Hibari wouldn't be able to gain enough strength to contribute anything major.

"We only had brief experiences with Mukuro's powers" sighs Chikusa.

"Teaching something so incredible isn't easy" Ken reinforces, "But we'll get it done before the book fight".

Upon hearing those words, the engineering supervisor watches for a moment as Ryohei teaches Tsuna the basics of how to throw a punch.

"I hope so" he says under his breath.

"So what have you been up to in terms of training" Dokuro asks quietly. She knows it's quite likely Gokudera has had no time for training, aiding Tsuna in his training is the most important job anyone has before this upcoming war.

"I haven't had much time to train while doing this for the 10th". Gokudera confirms the suspicions of the Kokuyo Junior High gang while his gaze returns to his computer screens.

Suddenly the cloud guardian points to a huge water tank with transparent glass surroundings.

"Is that full of explosives" exclaims Dokuro.

"I've been typing with my right hand and making bombs with my left" explains the white haired fighter, "Of course these bombs are weak and of no use to me… but I'm hoping they can make a difference to the ground soldiers".

With all these high powered fighters it is easy for the mafia to forget that the regular army will want to fight alongside them in this conflict. Even if the regular army believed the stories of how insignificant their power was they would still want to fight, such is a human's desire to protect their home.

"Amazing" comments Ken as he looks at the huge collection of dying will explosives.

"Your contribution is really noteworthy" Chikusa praises.

"I hope it's enough, I really do" Gokudera glumly prays, "I don't want to have the 10th do any more than he has to, that sort of thing is up to us".

"Yeah" concurs Dokuro, "Let's all work hard so that Tsuna can rest easily".

"Leave it to us" yells Ken.

"Let's go back to our training then" suggests Chikusa, causing Dokuro to smile and nod as the trio leave the three guardians to their work.

 **The CEDEF Courtyard**

"That's right, you need to keep calm" Iemitsu suggests to Basil.

The duo has aptly chosen the CEDEF courtyard to train in. Unlike the many other factions that intended to follow the main Vongola family to Japan the CEDEF had decided to stay in Italy. It is Basil's home and Iemitsu would retire in Japan with his wife.

The situation had changed things, Iemitsu has been forced to delay his retirement slightly, his main duty is not that of a fighter. He shares a duty with Gokudera, a duty of training the main force, namely his old student Basil.

"Distractions will be everywhere once the fighting starts" he continues, "People will die all around you, you need to put it out of your mind".

Iemitsu speaks these words of wisdom but in his heart he knows they are just the general principles behind any fighting technique. Iemitsu has no knowledge of the ultimate dying will flame, his son had rediscovered it and his rivals had copied it. Only Reborn was truly a great enough tutor to teach it.

Suddenly a sporadic ultimate flame appears around Basil like an aura.

"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DOING IT BASIL".

Basil strains himself for a few moments, desperately trying to hold onto the form as sweat drips down his body from his forehead. After a moment he can hold the form no longer and the dying will flame disappears.

"I could feel it; it was only for a moment but I could feel it" heaves Basil.

"You had it Basil, this is a huge leap forwards" Iemitsu encourages the youngster.

"Yeah" stammers Basil as he turns to look into the sky, "I wonder how Tsuna is getting along".

Iemitsu shares Basil's concerns. In fact, he is more concerned, as you would expect, Tsuna is after all his eldest son. He puts duty first and says the correct thing though.

"You don't need to worry about him, just worry about yourself" Iemitsu instructs his pupil, "However we both know my son; we both know he doesn't lose".

"You're right" smiles Basil as he kicks his staff up from the floor and into his hand, "Then shall we".

Iemitsu throws a punch towards Basil. The Italian youth counters by hitting Iemitsu on the outside of his arm to deflect the punch. The follow up is an unmerciful, brutal thrust to the gut of the elder gentleman, using the very base of the staff.

The Sawada patriarch falls to the floor, holding his abdomen as he does so.

"Master are you alright" Basil asks.

"Your opponent will show you know mercy" the former CEDEF leader shouts as he uppercuts Basil right in the chin.

Basil begins to flip backwards as a result of the attack. He uses the momentum of his opponent's fist in combination with his staff to complete a full backward flip. As soon as he lands the blue eyed Italian channels the hyper dying will flame into his staff and launches the aforementioned flame at his teacher.

Iemitsu falls backwards deliberately, holding himself just with the power of his lower legs as he floats just above the ground. He opens his eyes after the flame has gone past and is surprised to see Basil standing over him. Basil's staff is pointing at his head.

"Does this count as my win".

"Yeah" smiles Iemitsu, "Now all we need to do is complete that final flame, then you will be set".

Mastering that flame however is easier said than done.

 **The Open Country, Italy**

It is here that Bana is training his arm strength. He has agreed to train in the art of the bow and arrow, something he never expected to do. The clone is stood alone with Kyoko as the remainder of his team have gone to collect various resources from the Chiavarone family and setup a practice target for him to shoot.

"Why are you so forgiving of him" Kyoko asks with a clearly depressed tone.

"Huh?".

"Sawada Tsunayoshi abandoned Haru and I, everywhere he goes destruction follows" begins Kyoko who is close to tears. "This whole mess is only happening because he refused to leave Japan, don't you realise this".

"You know the Yakuza were there from the beginning, Tsuna just forced them from the darkness and into the light. They had comfortable control over Japan before, they weren't known to the world true but they had comfortable control" Bana begins.

"Tsuna didn't initiate this war, they just attacked him when he encroached on their territory which is his home, your home, that's why they have gone so far in terms of world domination" explains the son of the 1st.

"He cheated on me" groans Kyoko.

"Kyoko, he thought you were dead, most likely because the Yakuza arranged it. Besides you weren't exactly ready to forgive him when you showed up alive".

"Perhaps it is time to move on" concludes Bana.

"Move on huh…" stammers Kyoko. She takes a deep breath and takes hold of Bana's head before surprising her leader greatly. She pressed his lips to her own, embracing the chief mafia policeman in a gentle kiss.

"I wasn't expecting that" Bana eventually manages to get out.

"Sorry" blushes Kyoko, "I just thought that...".

"It's OK" Bana interrupts with a smile, "It wasn't a bad thing".

"It wasn't?".

"Not at all, just warn me next time so I can try and embrace the moment" laughs the blonde.

"Bana" Kyoko says, still blushing.

"Yes Kyoko".

"I'm going to do it again".

"OK" Bana responds with an emotional smile as Kyoko puts her hands to his face once again and closes the distance between them.

"What are you doing?".

The new voice causes them both to leap away from each other and prepare for a fight. After a brief look they discover that the intruder is Lancia.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STOOD THERE" Bana shouts uncharacteristically.

"Long enough for this to be awkward" replies the cloud policeman with a sly grin.

"Tell anyone and I will kill you" threatens Kyoko.

"Oh don't worry guys, I'm happy for you and I'm not exactly the gossiping type" replies Lancia, not at all intimidated by Kyoko's threat.

"I'm the type that brings gifts" he elaborates as he hands a very sturdy looking bow to his boss.

"This is amazing" exclaims Bana, "What incredible craftsmanship".

Lancia smiles, pleased at his boss' newly discovered weapon. "Well then, want to try it out, a few kilometres that way there is a target, can you see it".

Bana looks questioningly at his cloud policeman before the latter gestures to the bow. "Special sights huh" smiles Bana as he looks down the sights of the bow, trying to use the dying will flame to enhance his own eyesight, something quite clearly required to use this spyglass.

 **At the Target**

"So do you guys think the boss will hit the target" Sorata asks.

"Of course he will, he has true power" Haru replies in a tone that makes it seem as if she is scolding Sorata for doubting Bana.

"We better hope he does or else we will probably die" Tokata morbidly notes.

The trio look at the target. It is there one moment and not the next. Bana had fired the arrow with such speed and power. When the arrow hit the target, it's superior momentum carried both the arrow and the target some way into the distance.

"I think he hit it" Sorata smiles sarcastically.

"Of course he hit it idiot, unless there are any other bowmen you know that could make that shot" replies Haru.

"None come to mind" Sorata says as he shakes his head. Vongola Bana is truly a monster.


	43. Music Fixes Everything

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – MUSIC FIXES EVERYTHING**

 **The Shimon Training Yard**

The Shimon training yard is not dis-similar to the other training yards that have been set aside for mafia members. It is an unremarkable rectangular area with nothing to look at but concrete and a few training implements.

The Shimon family had not travelled to witness the battle of the successors, they have no idea just how strong Tsuna and Bana have become. They struggle to believe it when Enma tells them that he is far behind that duo. It is true though, while Basil is working to first obtain the ultimate form and Enma is still working to stabilise it, the two leading lights of the mafia had long since passed that stage. Tsuna and Bana are masters of the ultimate form.

"It's time for you to show me just what you have achieved" the hitman tutor Reborn informs his newest student, "Let's fight with our full strengths Enma".

Reborn brings out a whip, a weapon he has just started using again recently. Seeing that Reborn is using his new weapon makes Enma recall that the Arcobaleno also is being depended on for his strength in this battle. Reborn is not doing this because he is Enma's teacher but because he is his ally.

"You really want to see just how strong I can get, my home tutor" Enma asks arrogantly as he picks up a huge hammer that he has been practicing with.

The weighty hammer fails to impress the hitman, "The weapon doesn't make the man" he notes.

Reborn swings his whip towards Enma.

' _Fast'_ notes the Shimon leader boss. Enma is unable to avoid the blow completely so decides on an alternative strategy, he sways to the side, lowering the relative speed between himself and the whip.

Reborn smiles as he observes the damage reducing tactic, something he had done many times himself in the past. Reborn spins his body the opposite direction to his first strike, changing from counter-clockwise to clockwise as the whip approaches Enma from the other direction.

Enma drops his hammer just in front of him and jumps backwards, allowing the whip to wind itself around the heavier weapon.

As Reborn retracts his whip in preparation for his next attack the Shimon boss also makes his preparations. As the whip flies away from him the red haired leader creates a black hole one meter in front of himself. Enma picks up his previously discarded hammer and smashes it into the black hole, launching the gravitational body towards the young looking hitman.

Reborn doesn't panic as he feels the incoming gravity field, he can judge these things perfectly and he knows it. The arcobaleno swings his whip perfectly so that it gets stuck in the black hole and then uses like a monkey on a vine, shooting himself towards Enma.

"You're still too slow to compete against me Enma". Reborn mercilessly swings his weapon towards Enma for what he believes to be the last time.

Enma holds up his forearm, wincing in pain as it is struck by the whip. The whip wraps around the boss arm in a way that makes it easy for Reborn to manipulate his position.

"It's over" declares Reborn.

Suddenly Enma grabs hold of the whip with his captured hand. "I can still get stronger yet, REBORN" he shouts as he pulls Reborn towards him using the latter's own weapon.

Enma raises his hammer into the air and slams it down hard. The collision causes a small earthquake and birds launch from the tops of nearby buildings. Reborn was not injured however, Enma had lowered his hammer too quickly and missed the Arcobaleno.

The Shimon family members can hardly believe it; their leader has made a mistake. How is this possible, he came so close to defeating the seemingly undefeatable Reborn?

"Why did you let me go" asks Reborn, "Don't tell me you will show the enemy this weakness".

It is upon Reborn saying this that the Shimon family members realise, Enma swung his hammer too fast on purpose, so as not to hit Reborn. It was a pure demonstration that he would have won in a real fight.

"I don't believe it's a weakness to value your friends" smiles Enma as he rubs his reddened arm.

"Neither do I Enma" the tutor smiles back.

Enma and Reborn decide to lay on their backs for a moment and rest. The two of them have earn that haven't they, a rest. Even Sawada Tsunayoshi is resting when necessary.

"Say Reborn, what do you intend to do after this battle is over".

"After it's all over" the tutor begins, "Who knows, I guess I will still be a part of the family".

"I would like to retire somewhere. Perhaps somewhere with a beach. In my free time I would like to take on some students… maybe someone easier to handle".

Enma laughs, Reborn indeed hadn't had the easiest students to deal with. "I can't say I blame you, this whole situation has gotten out of hand".

"Reborn, I'm going to make that ambition of yours come true, as a thank you for helping me, I will definitely make it come true".

"Yeah, thank you Enma".

 **The Yakuza HQ, Medical Room**

In the bland and un-interesting medical room Yaru is sat twiddling his thumbs. There is only so much time you can spend contemplating what has happened, it gets boring eventually. Not only that but the green haired Yakuza would prefer not to think about what has happened, despite how grateful he is to the Yakuza and to Honda, it hasn't been full of good memories.

The door to the medical room burst open much to Yaru's shock.

"FOR JAPAN" yells a slave as he runs towards the youngster while brandishing a knife.

Before Yaru can react a dart appears and pierces straight through the slave's skull before hitting the far wall. An incredible shot, to go through the skull without slowing down yet to kill its own momentum enough not to damage the wall, this was clearly thrown by someone with unnatural ability.

Yaru immediately looks in the direction the dart came from.

Sakura wakes up upon hearing the commotion and immediately realises what has happened. "Someone tried to hurt big brother Yaru".

The young girl comes to the brink of tears, "Big bro, I'm really sorry, if I was playing music instead of sleeping then none of this would have happened".

Yaru couldn't hold a grudge against this little girl. "Don't worry about it" he whispers, "None of this is your fault".

The elder of the two Yakuza adopts a more serious expression as he recalls the imminent danger. He turns back to the source of the dart, "Who is it?".

An elderly man with wispy grey hair and a long white beard emerges from the shadows with his hands behind his back. The man has a set of tattoo associated with the Yakuza causing Yaru to feel relieved. This is the man who has thrown the dart.

Sakura giggles, "It's just old man Gon".

"Hello my child" Gon starts, surprising Yaru with his very gentle voice, "Would you mind playing some of that cheery music for me".

"Yes" replies Sakura as she immediately begins to play her music to the level of near perfection.

"I see now" Yaru begins with an analytical tone, "I thought it was unusually merciful of the master to spare Sakura, the old man that spared her was you right".

"That's right, I wanted to save Sakura" the old man replies as he strokes his beard. "Her music is very pretty wouldn't you agree".

Yaru concurs, "Yeah, it's beautiful, it really makes me smile".

"I'm glad you think so too, I hate to see the fate of all those poor and potentially talented slaves at the hands of the boss" explains Gon.

"Forgive me old man but… you don't seem like the Yakuza type; why do you follow the master" asks Yaru.

"Well unfortunately his philosophy about the weak and the strong is correct" begins Gon. Indeed, in a world where people can reach such staggering levels of power the strong will always be capable of imposing their wills upon the weak.

"He is the strong and I am the weak".

Yaru has more questions, "How strong is the master, really?".

Gon laughs, "Tell me, who could I possibly compare him to?".

Yaru is stunned, he didn't think of this. If there is indeed nobody in the world stronger than Honda then it is impossible to compare him to others, strength isn't measured in numbers after all.

"I suppose that it was a stupid question, so you follow him because you afraid of death" Yaru prompts his senior to continue as Sakura's music brightens up the background.

"It's not that but I made a promise, back when I first realised what the Yakuza was becoming" starts Gon, "It was the day that Vongola Primo was first defeated by the

master, I went to him and we spoke".

Gon continues, "I told him, 'I have seen the Yakuza do terrible things, unlike the mafia there is no way it will change, please allow me to join the mafia', and do you know what he said".

"What did he say".

"He said, 'I have no need for un-loyal members, just keep fighting for your boss, then maybe one day he will change'". Gon finishes.

"Do you think the master will change?" Yaru asks incredulously.

"There is no way, back then Primo didn't understand the full capabilities of our master, his full psychology" the old man explains, "Still he may be looking down on me now from up there in heaven and I don't want to disappoint him after coming this far".

Yaru smiles, "You're an interesting old man, one last question, why the darts".

"I like the game".

The green haired Yakuza laughs, "What an uninteresting reason".

 **One Week Later, The Yakuza HQ, The Meeting Room**

The meeting room has a beautiful view of Japan. Yaru and Sakura admire the view as the last attendee of the meeting arrives, the old man Gon.

"Gon, I'm glad you could make it, still willing to oppose the mafia are we" teases Honda, knowing the very well what Primo had said to Gon all those years ago.

Honda laughs, "You take Primo's word too literally, then again I can't blame you for your fear of death".

Uninvited and without being prompted Sakura begins to play some cheerful music on her trumpet.

"Stop that noise, it's irritating" Honda shouts angrily as he looks towards Yaru and Sakura.

"But I like it" retorts the young girl.

"It's alright Sakura, you can play again when we leave" Yaru comforts the young girl.

Lucy scoffs, "You treat her more like a sister than me, you are disgusting".

Yaru doesn't know how to reply so he decides simply to ignore his elder sister. The relationship between the two has been becoming more and more strained. Yaru wants to get closer to his sister again, he loves her and therefore refuses to refute anything she says.

"Can we begin" Kara asks impatiently, "This bickering is tedious".

"I agree" says Honda, "Yaru are you ready?".

"Ready?" replies Yaru, not quite understanding what Honda means.

"Are your injuries healed, if they are we can start travelling tonight, we can begin the voyage towards Italy and get there tomorrow". The answer caught Yaru off guard, he had almost forgotten that it was their intention to invade Italy, to fight the mafia one final time.

"Mostly" he answers after a few seconds. Yaru then pulls his shirt over his shoulders and shows his back to the group, "I'm afraid this could take a while to fully recover though".

Kara turns to Lucy, "Compared to that your injuries were superficial" she informs her raven haired comrade, "Don't you think you went a bit overboard Lucy".

"I don't need you telling me how to act" complains the elder Kosuke sibling, "You're not my mother".

"Do as you like then" says Kara emotionlessly, not interested in getting into an argument with Lucy.

"Sakura can play some much and make the pain go away" the young girl chirps in.

"Sakura" begins Yaru, "The master said not in…".

"It's fine" interrupts Gon, "Do it Sakura".

Upon Gon's prompt Sakura swaps her trumpet for an instrument Yaru has not seen her use before. Sakura swaps the tubes of the trumpet for a string instrument, the violin.

As Sakura plays the violin the tone is less cheery than her usual pieces. Instead this music is very soothing. As Yaru's body bathes in the soothing music all of his wounds disappear as if they were never present to begin with.

"Amazing…" exclaims Yaru. _'This ability must be why the master keeps Sakura around'_.

Honda smiles, "Well now that has been taken care of we can begin our preparations, let's go to Italy and crush the Mafia once and for all".


	44. The Eve of Battle

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – THE EVE OF BATTLE**

 **Gokudera's Hotel Room, Rome**

Gokudera's hotel room is nothing special. Unlike his boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi he hadn't had time for sleep up until now. The room is unremarkable; it has wallpaper that probably hasn't been changed in twenty years. Various crevices are filled to the brim with dust, it is a surprise the cleaner still has a job.

Gokudera was back at the hotel room at Tsuna's request because some dire intel had been delivered by the Chiavarone family, the Yakuza were on their way. They had time for some quick sleep before they went into battle tomorrow, it was important they were well rested so the 10th forced Gokudera to promise to get some sleep.

Despite promising it to his boss, Gokudera has not come to the hotel to sleep. The announcement has driven him in a different way. He knows his part in this battle is insignificant compared to Tsuna's. The engineering supervisor is doing his best to find one more thing that can help improve their greatest battle asset.

There is a knock at the door and Gokudera moves to open it.

As the white haired fighter opens the door he is surprised by what he sees, "You" he starts.

"Hello Hayato" greets Haru.

Haru has been exceedingly hostile towards Gokudera ever since he discovered she was still alive. The Haru before Gokudera is giving off signs of being more nervous however, clearly something has changed, perhaps the announcement that the Yakuza are coming, the mobilisation of the Italian fleets.

"What are you doing" Haru asks.

Gokudera calms himself down when he sees how nervous Haru is. He did after all promise to bring the old Haru back, perhaps in this state he will be able to better connect with her.

"I'm just running some tests on the 10th's zero-point breakthrough" Gokudera explains as he gestures Haru in.

Haru comes in and Gokudera shuts the door. He walks over to his laptop and turns the screen so that Haru can see the data he has been looking at.

"The possibilities that come from this technique are truly endless" exclaims the storm guardian. He knows that Haru will understand the data to some degree, he remembers the days when the two of them were considered the most intelligent members of the Vongola family. Some things never change.

"This data" Haru begins, "It's so important, so unique".

"I know" replies Gokudera, relieved that he is finally talking with someone on his scientific level. "It's hard to appreciate it during the day when all I have to think about is making the 10th stronger. Now that it's night however, I can mess around with the data and discover something new".

Haru crosses her arms and nods, still lacking true conviction in her actions. Perhaps she could fool other people into thinking her actions are not abnormal but Gokudera knows her best, they were engaged after all.

"So what brings you here" asks the storm guardian.

"Nothing special" replies his policewoman counterpart.

"I'm not stupid, we were engaged, I at least know you well enough to tell that something is up".

Haru hangs her head as if she is guilty or afraid. "I am… I am… I am…" she stutters.

"I'm afraid of dying" she eventually gets out.

Gokudera starts. He has never considered the possibility that they could actually lose this battle. Unlike their enemies of the past the Yakuza would truly turn the world into a vile place not worth living in. If they were to lose this battle it would be better to die than to survive.

"I understand" Gokudera says as he walks over and hugs Haru.

He waits a second to see what her reaction is. To his great surprise Haru does not pull away from the hug but holds onto him tightly, perhaps it is because right now she has nobody else to hold on to.

"Truth be told I'm the same" begins Gokudera, "The strength of the enemy we are facing in this battle, it's like nothing we have ever faced before".

Haru continues to hold onto Gokudera tightly, tighter with every word that confirms all of her fears about this battle. The latter releases Haru from the hug and grabs onto her shoulders.

"Look at me".

Haru looks at Gokudera.

"The 10th is going to save us, just like he always does, understand".

Haru nods causing the Vongola guardian to smile. "Good, perhaps we're one step closer to getting the real Haru back hey".

Haru doesn't answer the question. "Can I stay and look at the data with you".

"Sure, I have a spare chair somewhere" Gokudera recalls, "You go sit in the comfy one and I'll go get it".

As Haru moves towards the chair Gokudera recalls that he told the 10th he would try to bring their old friend back. He recalls that when he heard that Tsuna called him a good man.

' _I will keep working hard and trying to impress you, after all, you calling me a good man is the greatest compliment I have ever been paid'_.

 **A Training Field**

This training field is where Sawada Dokuro has been practicing for the upcoming battle. The starry night was special for her, especially tonight because her husband was laying in the grass with her.

The smell was beautiful, Dokuro has handpicked it. In a way this is training, she is using her illusions to fool more senses than one, an integral part of being a true illusionist.

"The sky is so pretty; don't you agree" notes the purple haired woman.

"Yeah".

Dokuro turns her head from the sky and looks to her husband. He is behaving unusually this evening, "You're worried aren't you, that what you have done may not be enough".

"Dokuro" he begins, "So many people are relying on me. Not to mention our friends and our family".

Dokuro understands Tsuna's frustrations. While everyone else is losing their cool about the upcoming battle it is his job to remain strong, tough, their leader. He can't show any weakness no matter what, he can't let them lose morale. Understanding his frustrations is her job.

"All of those people who came to the Vatican, their families, everybody who prayed for me" Tsuna continues, "They are all depending on my victory as well, what if I can't do it, what if it all ends with my defeat".

"One defeat doesn't make you no-good Tsuna again, you have already accomplished so much" Dokuro explains, "You have given so much to this fight, nobody will ever forget what you have given them".

"All the bonds you have formed" she continues, "The Varia, the Millefiore, the Shimon, the Arcobaleno, the Mafia Police, only you could have united us for this fight, so stop worrying. Win, lose or draw, you've done your bit".

"Yeah, I guess you're right" smiles the elder Sawada brother.

The bushes near the duo rustle and Tsuna shakes his head and laughs. Dokuro joins him in doing so, they both know who is there, it is Ken and Chikusa, fulfilling their promise to Mukuro to keep Dokuro safe.

"So why Kokuyo Junior High school, why stay there for so long" Tsuna asks loudly, trying to provide the duo with a hint.

"Lots of places to hide" the mist guardian replies with equal volume, "Lots of places you won't be seen when that is your wish".

The bushes rustle again, indicating that the Kokuyo Junior High pair have left.

Upon their departure Dokuro kisses her husband gently. "You know we haven't been together since we've been married".

"Been together?" Tsuna looks at his wife questioningly before his whole face turns red, "Oh right, been together, I see what you are getting at".

"Right now might be our final chance" Dokuro points out as she herself becomes increasingly red, "The scene is pretty good and well… we're never going to get a better chance".

Tsuna smiles as he realises that Dokuro is just as nervous as he is, that makes things easier for him. "I agree" he replies, "But you know Ken and Chikusa haven't left right, I don't want to do it with them watching".

The mist guardian gives a small smile as a pair of illusions appear behind her. Ken and Chikusa scream and run away as the foul looking creatures chase after them. Once more the husband and wife pair share a laugh at the situation.

Dokuro turns back to Tsuna, "Now you don't have anything to worry about" she points out. She embraces Tsuna in a deep kiss, breaking it for a short moment to say, "Let's just lose ourselves in this moment".

 **Early Next Morning, An Italian Naval Base**

It is at this Naval base that Dino has gathered the largest combined military humanity has ever produced. While this may be a battle for Italy in name it is in fact a battle for the world. With the prime-minister's announcement the world leaders finally understood just how dire the situation was. The navies from many countries such as France, Russia and the United States had all come to lend their support.

As Dino gets people into appropriate groups to match his plan, the seven great mafioso meet the political, military and philosophical leaders of Italy.

"It's time everyone, no restrictions on those below us in rank" instructs Tsuna, "Tell them to go where the fight demands, to fight according to their own strengths".

"If something goes wrong today, if I die you run" the 10th continues, surprising his subordinates, "You have to think of the long game, somewhere out there if I am incapable of winning today, there will be somebody who can eventually defeat the Yakuza".

"The hope of humanity is what is most important here today" he finishes. "Let's go".

"Hold on one moment" a voice stops the seven from leaving. The voice belongs to the military leader Donato Gallo.

"I had my doubts about your capabilities at first, especially when I found out you were in critical condition" the general says to Tsuna, "But let me say to you now that I firmly believe that you are the greatest hope for humanity".

"May god protect you all" the pope reinforces.

Gallo speaks again, "The prime-minister would like to address you all, all of the mafia".

A few minutes later all of the mafia members who have trained for this battle gather, everyone from those right at the top to the weak guys who helped Dino to organise the strategy. Even the cooks the mafia have provided the war effort with are gathered, some of them intending to go into battle to support their families, Sawada Nana is one such woman.

The prime-minister looks at all the people gathered before him and begins his speech.

"Yesterday the mafia were criminals, some would say that was fair, some would say that was harsh".

"All that matters today is that you have put that behind you and contributed everything you have to this war effort".

"I have made pain-staking efforts to collect every one of your names, they will go down in history as our glorious protectors from this day on".

"I want you to know that the world is so incredibly grateful, for you are doing a great thing by putting your lives on the line".

"You are doing a great thing not just for yourselves or the mafia, not just for Italy but for all of humanity".

"The prayers of the nation, no, the prayers of the world are with you, good luck".


	45. Rocking the Boat

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – ROCKING THE BOAT**

 **An Italian Warship, The Mediterranean**

The warship is incredible. It is a huge construction made of pure steel armed with guns that could sink any vessel the world has ever seen. The crew understand that the mafia are supposed to be superhuman with their capabilities but struggle to believe that they will be needed when this much firepower has been brought to bear.

This is the leading vessel in the fleet and on it is the most important man in the world, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Accompanying Tsuna on this boat are his parents, Nana and Iemitsu. Tsuna had wanted his mother to stay in Italy, to keep away from the battle but she had insisted on coming. If this was the end for her family she was going to be there with them.

The entire Sawada family are on this boat, namely Lambo is aboard as well, along with his friend I-pin. Normally the thunder guardian would be running around making silly jokes, getting under people's feet and perhaps even throwing a grenade. Today Lambo is making no jokes, the situation affects even his mental state.

Finally, aboard are Gokudera Hayato and Miura Haru, originally Dino's plan had Haru on a different ship along with the remainder of the mafia police. Gokudera had made a special request that Dino put the two of them together so that he may give Haru the mental support she needs. The Chiavarone Boss and Chief Policeman had no problems with that suggestion, Haru's position wasn't going to make a great difference in the battle regardless.

The Captain briefly speaks to one of his technicians before saying to Tsuna, "Mr Sawada, we are receiving a communication claiming to be from the Yakuza boss".

"Is it definitely from a Japanese ship" Gokudera asks.

The technician glumly nods towards the mafioso. This is almost certainly the man from their nightmares.

"Put him through" Tsuna says without a trace of fear.

As the technician presses a few buttons on his equipment, a huge ugly looking face appears on the screen. A moment passes and the man who the face belongs to leans backwards revealing his full body tattoos. This man is Honda, the Yakuza Boss.

Honda smiles, "I finally get to see you, the one who Primo entrusted everything to, Sawada Tsunayoshi, 10th boss of the Vongola family".

Haru tightly grabs onto Gokudera's hand. The man is speaking to them through electrical equipment and yet they can feel his aura. It's intimidating, the most intimidating feeling they have ever experienced.

"And you are?" Tsuna asks calmly.

"My name" Honda begins, "My full name doesn't matter, call me Honda, I am the leader of the Yakuza and I'm here to offer you a choice".

Nana whispers to Iemitsu, "Does he really want to negotiate?".

Iemitsu shrugs his shoulders and replies to his wife, "I suppose anything is possible, though I definitely don't trust this man".

"What is your offer" Tsuna asks with intrigue.

"Leave the planet and I will spare your friends" the Yakuza replies with a sadistic smile.

"STOP KIDDING AROUND" Gokudera angrily shouts. This man's threats won't make Haru's life any easier.

If Tsuna were to leave the planet the world would immediately fall into the hands of the Yakuza. On several occasions even Bana has confessed that he believes Tsuna is humanities only remaining hope, if he left there would be nothing to stop them. Yet playing on the 10th's weakness, his value for his friends may actually work.

"I've prepared the means for you to do so" Honda continues, ignoring Gokudera's little outburst. The cloud guardian is but a pest to the Yakuza boss, the only man he is concerned with is the 10th Vongola leader.

As Tsuna looks out the window the gaze of everyone else in the room follows. There it was, four drones are holding up a net with a big white airplane in the middle. Only it isn't an airplane, it is a space shuttle. They really did want Tsuna to leave.

As the various naval officers on the bridge clench themselves inside out with fear Tsuna raises his hand until his arm is horizontal. Suddenly all their doubts about the mafia's powers are crushed as a dying will flame launches from the gauntlet clad hand of the 10th Vongola boss. The shuttle had been destroyed instantly.

Many of the crew members jump for joy when they see Tsuna's display of power. More than that they jump for joy that he is not abandoning them, not abandoning their families.

"Does that give you your answer, Honda?" Tsuna asks rhetorically.

Honda laughs, "You're just like Primo, you know that".

"Don't you get it" begins the Yakuza boss, "You must be able to feel it even from over there".

"My power, no, the power of the Yakuza, it's far greater than that of the Mafia".

"You must have some sort of plan right… come on why don't you tell me".

"Primo may have followed a strong moral code but he acted with his brain and not his heart".

"You two are not the same after all".

As Tsuna refuses to speak out against Honda the elderly man laughs to himself.

"y power, no, the power of the Yakuza, it's far greater than that of the Mafia".

"You must have some sort of plan right… come on why don't you tell me".

"Primo may have followed a strong moral code but he acted with his brain and not his heart".

"You two are not the same after all".

As Tsuna refuses to speak out against Honda the elderly man laughs to himself.

"Your mannerisms, your tendencies, your subconscious habit and your behaviour".

"It's all of these things that have me more intrigued every second".

"Have you got a way to hide your strength, way to power up perhaps".

"Or is it that you have some masterful tactic, or perhaps you really are just stupid".

Tsuna continues to gaze at Honda defiantly. The old man laughs even louder.

"Very well, you keep standing there looking defiant, there may be fear in your eyes but there is also a will to fight".

"Let's do it, we'll fight".

"We'll fight" Tsuna replies.

"You will die" / "We will win".

"You will regret the day".

"You crossed the Yakuza" / "You crossed the Mafia".

A few minutes of calm pass. Nobody says a thing; everyone can feel the weight of that conversation that just took place. A conversation between the strongest rival's history has to offer. That conversation will change history.

Suddenly a crewman runs onto the bridge with a panicked expression. "Sir there is a man, he is flying towards the ship".

"Flying…" the captain mutters under his breath. Yesterday he would have never believed it, yet today he had to put it into his strategy.

"It's an elderly man" the soldier continues, "It's the same one whose face was on the screen".

The captain steadies himself and turns to Tsuna. "Mr Sawada, this is your job… give him hell from us".

Tsuna nods to the captain and begins to walk towards the nearest door. He is stopped by his mother, who seems to still have something to say.

"Tsuna" Nana sobs, "Don't you dare die, Tsunayoshi".

"You've got this" Iemitsu encourages his son.

"They don't stand a chance against my big brother" Lambo boasts in a way he is sure Tsuna is familiar with.

"Go for it" adds I-pin.

"Good luck" mutters Haru, the first positive words she has said to the Vongola boss since her return from the dead.

Gokudera extends his hand towards his friend. "10th…".

Tsuna shakes the hand of his right-hand man firmly. "Under this handshake" he recites, "The Yakuza will die".

Gokudera recalls the night when Tsuna asked him to train him for this last fight. For the fight against the Yakuza. It was back then that they first proclaimed their handshake would represent the Yakuza's death. After all this hard work, after all this fear, it's finally time to come through.

"Good luck" Gokudera whispers.

Tsuna walks out onto the deck where he is surprised one last time before his fight. The sailors are all saluting him. He has no official rank over them, he has done nothing so far to earn their respect, he has never even met any of them. Yet here they are, showing him the greatest respect they could.

"GO FOR IT" one of the sailors suddenly yells, breaking their silence. Soon all the others join in. Never before has Sawada Tsunayoshi enjoyed so much heartfelt support from so many.

' _Thank you, all of you'_ Tsuna says in his head as he smiles.

The forehead of the chestnut haired boss catches fire. A form unfamiliar to the sailors but famous amongst the mafia, hyper dying will mode. Tsuna's friends and family watch on from the only window available to them.

"Gokudera" begins Haru, "He isn't strong enough is, I can feel that Yakuza boss from here".

"Who knows" smiles Gokudera.

Haru is confused for a moment before she continues, "You don't need to lie to make me feel better, I already know, there is no need to worry, I am co…".

Suddenly Tsuna launches himself from the ship with a push of his legs. The launch is of unprecedented speed, similar to what he could formally manage in ultimate mode, yet he achieved it in hyper mode this time.

Haru changes her sentence, "What… what the hell… what the hell is this speed".

"That boxer was teaching the 10th how to fight better while in his base form".

"I get it" declares Iemitsu, "So when he actually powers up…".

"Yeah, the strength increase will be enormous" the storm guardian finishes.

Haru smiles for the first time in a long while, "Maybe we will survive after all".

The captain suddenly interrupts the explanation. "People are flocking from the Yakuza ships, they seem to be walking on water, are they… are they people like you".

"Yeah" replies Gokudera, "Mr Sawada, Stupid Cow, I-Pin, Haru, this is our job, let's do our bit, and let's win".

"YES" they all reply as they head for the door.

 **The Space Between the Warships**

Tsuna and Honda are approaching each other at great speed. Neither seems like slowing down and neither does. The two leaders crash into each other with a speed no other human beings could survive.

 **The Italian Warship**

As a shockwave spreads from the collision the captain removes his binoculars from his head. "BRACE" he yells at the top of his lungs.

All the crew members aboard the drop to the ground and hold on as tightly as they can. The ship shakes dramatically; such a phenomenon is unnatural without the appearance of a tsunami. This phenomenon however, required now Tsunami, just two incredibly strong people.

After the shockwave dies down the captain gets to his feet. "I was told to expect they would be like some sort of superheroes, but I never thought anything like this would be possible, not even for a superhero".

 **The Space Between the Warships**

"So you have come" notes Honda, as if the two had not just caused a small earthquake under the ocean. "Are you not going to praise me with your ultimate form".

As Tsuna remains silent his nemesis continues, "Did you not hear that I defeated Vongola Primo and all his successors while he was in that form, do you possibly think you can beat me as you are?".

The Vongola boss smiles and stops using his hyper dying will flame as he floats opposite of Honda.

"Are you giving up?" the old man asks with mock surprise.

"I'm just proving a point" begins Tsuna, "I'm still flying aren't I".

"Oh, so your point is that you are strong even in base form" Honda immediately understands what his counterpart is indicating. "What of it?".

"Before this I couldn't even imagine flying in this form" explains Tsuna, "But I have gotten stronger in this form, my base form. I am much stronger than I was before".

A triangular shaped flame appears on Tsuna's head. Something he hasn't used in a very long time, the standard dying will flame.

"Dying will mode, certainly the strongest user I have ever seen but it's not at all impressive" Honda points out.

"It's not supposed to be impressive" Tsuna points out as the triangular flame gradually becomes more chaotic and evolves into a hyper dying will flame.

"So your power has increased in each mode, are you trying to intimidate me by going through them all" asks Honda.

"No" replies Tsuna, "I have also changed the way in which I use my flame, in how I flicker it between different values".

"This is true not only as I use the zero-point breakthrough, but also as I power up".

"It has become a lot harder" Tsuna continues, "So until my technique matures a bit I will have to power up slowly, begins going ultimate… it hurts like hell".

Suddenly Honda is taken by surprise as Tsuna starts to groan in pain. _'Is this the pain he mentioned, from going ultimate, it can't be that ba…'._

Tsuna's finally has no choice but to moan aloud, such is the increasing level of pain as he gets closer to ultimate. Tsuna's moan increases in volume, it increases and increases until eventually it becomes a scream. The scream gets louder and louder.

Huge waves appear in the water once more as Tsuna gets closer to achieving his ultimate power. His agony continues to have more dramatic vocalisation as the waves get bigger. The Vongola boss doesn't let up, going on for over a whole minute without stopping.

Honda's expression is not of horror but of great shock.

' _Just how strong is his ultimate power?'_.


	46. Kill Kill Kill

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – KILL KILL KILL**

 **The Sea Between the Italian and Japanese Warships**

As those below could swear that they can hear Tsuna screaming the ultimate flame continues to grow around the body of the world's hope. His power keeps rising, further and further, like nothing they have felt before.

"WAVES" the young girl I-Pin screams at the top of her lungs.

As the mafioso adjust their balance to avoid the waves Haru looks up into the sky. Her balance had to improve enormously to master the heavy sword she uses so she has little trouble in maintaining her stance atop the waves.

"What is Tsuna doing?" the storm policewoman asks.

"It's harder for him to break into ultimate form now" Gokudera begins, "He is doing it slowly and unfortunately losing quite a lot of energy. It is hurting him like nothing he has ever felt but the power he gets back will like nothing we have ever felt".

"Big bro is too powerful" exclaims Lambo.

"The energy is suffocating even from here" Iemitsu notes, his voice laced with pride and awe.

 **An Italian Ship Elsewhere in the Mediterranean**

This ship is the one carrying the Chiavarone group aboard. Furthermore, it also carries one great protector, someone who could create a delay if a powerful enemy was to attack. Thus Dino had chosen he strongest man he could find outside the seven great mafioso. The Vongola cloud guardian, Hibari Kyoya.

The ship begins to shake and all the crew fall to their knees.

"Romario, what is going on" Dino shouts to his right-hand man, the vibrations leaving him no other way of being heard.

"I have no idea" Romario replies in confusion, "We've had no reported sightings of the enemy in this area". The various ships which were hosts to the great seven had been spread all over the Mediterranean, maximising their chance of intercepting the Yakuza fleet. This ship is the only one without one of the great seven aboard, hence why Hibari has been separated from his Vongola comrades.

"It's the herbivore" Hibari explains dispassionately, "His strength is rising".

"This is Tsuna's power?" Dino questions, not daring to believe the man he viewed as a younger brother could put out this level of power.

 **The Italian Ship with the Millefiore**

Yamamoto uses the wing technique taught to him by Byakuran to float above the warship. Looking in all directions and concentrating his flames on his eyes, he hopes to see the Yakuza coming early. He is shocked however, shocked by this great power he feels approaching.

"Yamamoto, what the hell is this?" Ganma shouts from the deck to his newly appointed boss.

"It's Tsuna… TSUNA IS USING THE ULTIMATE FLAME" Yamamoto replies.

 **The Italian Ship with the Mafia Police**

"Is that…" Kyoko stutters while looking at her boss.

"No mistake" Lancia interrupts his comrade, "It's Vongola". Lancia smiles and remembers he once had ambitions of fighting Sawada Tsunayoshi, of enjoying a true challenge against the Vongola boss. _'I wouldn't stand a chance'_ he tells himself.

"I told you to believe in him" Bana shares his subordinates smiles. They have all doubted Tsuna up to this point, shared an enmity towards their former opponent. It has been difficult for all of them to let go of their hatred. Now that Tsuna is their last hope, it seems he has not let them down.

 **The Italian Ship with the Shimon Family, Reborn and Basil**

This ship is unusual in that it contains three of the great seven mafioso. Something that a lot of people disagreed with Dino about. Tsuna and Bana had both shared Dino's thinking though, they believed that it would be necessary to group a trio together, perhaps they could outnumber the Yakuza in one fight, win quickly and maintain their numbers advantage. If the Yakuza had the same idea, then it would just mean they had a fair fight.

"Reborn is that Tsuna" Enma asks with a smile.

"Yeah" the Hitman tutor replies, "He's a special kind of talent isn't he". Reborn recalls the day he first walked into the home of Sawada Tsunayoshi. The kid thought that the Arcobaleno was joking about being his new home tutor. Since them both of them had changed so much, experience emotions they never thought they would feel, nor had the right to feel. Ultimately Reborn is smiling because he is looking in the direction of his student who has long since surpassed him.

"You're telling me" Enma responds in agreement.

"I can't believe that someone like him really exists in this world" smiles Basil.

Enma turns to the members of the Shimon family and CEDEF, "Let's survive this battle everyone".

"For Tsuna" Basil yells.

"FOR TSUNA" they all shout their agreement. If the kid known as no-good can push himself so far, who are they to do any different.

 **The Sea Between Tsuna and Honda's Warships**

Tsuna finally finishes powering up and wastes no time in attacking Honda. Tsuna throws his right fist towards Honda. The Yakuza leader immediately catches the off-hand attack but Tsuna has planned for such an event, just as Ryohei taught him in their training. The 10th follows with a much stronger punch from his right hand, sending Honda flying back through the air.

Honda drifts backwards through the sky. His arms and legs trailing his body slight as he subconsciously uses his limbs to slow himself down. Before he manages to stop himself the old man punches the air with such force that the friction creates fire from the oxygen. The fire travels towards Tsuna, a fire attack created not from the dying will flame but from pure strength.

The mafia leader replies in kind. A burning axle is fired from his gauntlet clad fist, colliding with the flames mid-air. A huge explosion ensues, a ball of fire spreading from the origin all the way to the two fighters before dissipating.

Tsuna follows up his first flame attack with another. This time Tsuna uses rage edition, a power he first used against Vongola Bana. Though it is countered in a way Tsuna never expected, Honda uses his palm to bat the flame up into the air as if it is nothing.

Surprised at the ease with which his opponent deflected his first attack, Tsuna follows up with another, a third flame attack. This time it is the X-Burner he discovered in the build up to his battle with Byakuran.

As the flame hurtles towards him Honda frowns. "Do you still not get it". Honda shows less remorse than with his previous deflection, this time he doesn't send his nemesis' flames up into the sky, he sends them down into one of the smaller ships surround the warship Tsuna arrived on.

Tsuna gasps in astonishment, just how strong is this guy?

"I told you right at the beginning, I am far stronger than you" begins Honda, "I could sense your power and I have seen someone with a perfected ultimate flame".

"Your multiplier for that form may be slightly greater than theirs but it's not much, after seeing you in your base form I need only to do the maths and work it out".

"You will never beat me".

"Do you think I will give up just because of that" Tsuna yells at the self-proclaimed god, "All the people behind me fighting in the ships, the people beneath me fighting on the water, all the people of the world, they are depending on me to win".

"I won't back down just because you have a sharp tongue".

"Foolish man" scolds Honda, "The strong rule, the weak should just do as the strong will if they wish to survive".

As he finishes his sentence Honda launches at Tsuna.

' _Fast'_ the Vongola boss says to himself.

Honda arrives at Tsuna with a slightly greater altitude than the chestnut haired flame user. The tattooed man swinging his foot into Tsuna's head, propelling the younger of the duo through the air at great speed.

Before Tsuna is able to slow himself Honda intercepts the path that he himself set Tsuna on. Honda catches Tsuna by the back of his head.

"Got you" laughs Honda as he begins to slam Tsuna's face into his knee repeatedly.

"I knew that would be all you had" taunts the Yakuza before he stops kneeing his opponents face. Honda throws Tsuna down into the water below.

"The only difference between Primo and yourself, is that he uses his brain".

 **The Italian Ship with the Mafia Police**

Bana focuses his dying will flame on his eye as he looks down the scope of the world's greatest bow. At such a great distance it is implausible to focus on the fight between Tsuna and Honda for anybody else but it is not impossible for the blonde policeman.

"Can you see anything" Kyoko asks eagerly.

"I think I can see Tsuna" Bana says while he is straining. He drops the bow to his side. "He is… down".

"WHAT" Kyoko yells in response.

"That can't be" Sorata shakes his head.

Lancia tries to calm his comrades, being the most battle hardened of their group and one of the most battle hardened of the entire Italian force. "Vongola will get back up, we have to believe that and carry on fighting if we want to survive".

"But that's…" starts Kyoko.

"The bucking Bronco would have started his evacuation plan if the situation was beyond recovery" continues the cloud policeman, "So we will keep on going, right boss?".

"That's right" Bana says with complete confidence.

The son of the 1st raises his bow back to his eye and turns to look at the nearest Yakuza ship he can find. "That man at the head of the ship looks like…".

"GET IN THE WATER NOW".

All of the mafia police jump onto the water, the ship behind them exploding as thousands of voices all cry out in pain. It is an intimidating sound, one that would scare anyone. Even Lancia has been hoping never to hear a sound like this again but the Yakuza have forced it upon them.

' _It was a projectile of some sort, something like that destroyed the ship'_ Bana decides in his head but opts against telling his comrades. If projectiles like that were to continue coming at them there would be nothing he could do to stop it, his allies would die.

Bana is grateful at the sight of an incoming opponent, that would allow him to fight them one on one with whoever launched that attack.

The attacker is an old man, who flies over and lands on the water opposite the force that has become known as the mafia police. This old man is the saviour of the young girl Sakura, the old man Gon.

"Are you people…" he begins before his sight settles on Bana. "Primo…". Gon recalls his life changing encounter with Primo, the very reason he is fighting for the Yakuza now. That man had changed his very outlook, had proven that loyalty is the most important thing.

Bana lashes out in frustration, "Don't you Yakuza people know best of all, I'm not Primo, you created me, MADE ME A DAMN CLONE".

Gon sighs, "So Honda will go this far to check that I am loyal to his cause".

"Very well, I will fight you then, descendent of Primo".

Bana activates the ultimate flame which surges around him with great heat, it is not perfected like Tsuna's but it is incredibly dangerous. The blonde clone fires an arrow at Gon with incredible velocity.

Gon retaliates with a dart, the two sharp projectiles colliding perfectly in mid-air and disintegrating at the same time. As Gon is distracted Bana takes the advantage, closing the distance between the two and using his bow as a melee weapon to drive Gon into the air.

As Bana pursues his opponent he yells back to his subordinates, "You guys, Yakuza are coming from that ship, prepare yourselves for a fight".

Lancia smiles, "I have been looking forward to this".

 **A Yakuza Ship on the Rear Lines**

Aboard this ship are the remaining chiefs of the Yakuza. The Kosuke siblings, Yaru and Lucy, the young musician Sakura and the mysteriously passive Kara.

Sakura lightens the atmosphere by playing a cheerful tune on her trumpet. Not missing a note as she skilfully follows the rhythm she came up with not too long ago. A song inspired by her 'big brother' Yaru.

"Cut it out already" complains Lucy.

"Sakura doesn't want to" the young girl proclaims as she sticks her tongue out at her ally.

Lucy brings some glass up behind her as if she intends to attack Sakura. Reacting to this Yaru stands between the duo and raises his boot clad leg.

"You use to be just like that sis, the real you, I won't let you hurt her".

"I won't have any fighting" Kara announces without looking at the group, as if their childish behaviour is below her.

As she senses that everyone's weapon is still raised she elaborates, "If you value your lives put the weapons away, or the master will kill you".

The Kosuke siblings begrudgingly put their weapons away/down and Sakura decides to show discretion by stopping the music. She knows that Lucy is stronger than Yaru, she doesn't want her 'big brother' to get hurt.

"Good" says Kara as she walks over to a nearby glass window. The window does not show the view out to sea but instead shows the view of the cargo bay, where several boxes are covered by tarpaulin.

Kara presses a button that projects her voice to some speakers, allowing her to communicate with the crew in the cargo bay.

"Release him" she demands.

The tarpaulin is pulled back from one of the boxes, at least what everyone thought was a box. What is revealed is not a box but a cage. Inside that cage is a man, a man with hair down to his waste and with a crazed look in his eye. The man looks left and right, swinging his head and his eyes rapidly as if to take in every bit of visual stimulus he can. He is clearly insane but more importantly, his full body tattoos indicate that he is definitely a Yakuza.

"KILL KILL KILL" the insane man yells.

"What is this… is he supposed to be our comrade" Yaru asks Kara, disbelief thick in his voice.

"Not at all, Varon is his name and he is simply a tool the master uses" Kara explains.

"You can feel the power radiating from him, the master is wise to keep such a tool lying about" praises Lucy, who seems to have fully accepted Honda's status as a god.

' _If you're not careful sis, perhaps you will end up just like this… did the master once treat this man as well as he treats me?'_ Yaru asks himself.

Kara pushes the button once more, "Varon, it's Kara".

The man identified as Varon looks towards the loudspeakers where the voice originates from.

"KA RA" he speaks aloud. Perhaps it is wrong to say that Varon speaks it aloud, more that he vocalises it. It is clear from the way he talks that he has lost all capabilities he once had of speech. Now it is not speech, just sound.

"Kill the mafia" Kara orders.

After hearing the word 'kill' Varon roars and smashes through his cage. Formerly a thick reinforced steel structure the cage is made to look flimsy by the might Yakuza. As Varon leaps out of the ship bursting through the hull Kara smiles to herself.

"I best go with him, we want to make sure we can capture him again" she comments, "You three go the other way".

As Kara follows Varon out of the hole the insane man made, Lucy creates her own hole. As the shards of glass splash down into the ocean below, Lucy screams as she launches herself from the aperture, ready to shed blood in Honda's great name.

"Big sis Lucy is scary" Sakura decides.

"Don't worry, I won't let her hurt you" Yaru declares solemnly, "I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect you".

Yaru brings something out of his pocket and shows it to Sakura. "It's a radio, see if anything bad happens to you we can contact the boss and he will come save you".

Sakura nods, "I'll just play my trumpet and all the bad things will go away".

Yaru smiles at his friend's innocence. "Yeah, you just play your trumpet Sakura… and all the bad things will go away".


	47. King Of Blades

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – KING OF BLADES**

 **The Varia Warship**

The Varia members sit aboard the warship. They admire the pure energy they can feel coming from the direction of Tsuna's battle. This group had been completely alienated from the rest of the mafia just a few months ago. Not now, they are members of a greater organisation, all thanks to their boss.

"Man, he's really going all out" remarks Levi.

"And I thought I was the genius" Belphegor adds.

A few moments pass as they bask in the energy. It's hard to tell at this great distance who is winning and who is losing, being able to detect the battle at all is miraculous. Their detection of the two warriors is testament to their great strength and the shift they have caused all over the globe.

Squalo looks to the sky to see his former student floating above him.

"VOI, Yamamoto, you're not supposed to be here" the rain assassin shouts with unjustified enthusiasm.

"Trashy shark" murmurs Xanxus, "Don't get all vocal when you have no idea as to why he is here".

Without warning Xanxus uses his guns to propel himself from the boat. He comes to a level with Yamamoto and stops himself in the air, hovering as if it is nothing. Xanxus worked long and hard to gain better control over the incredibly volatile rage flames, his way of getting stronger.

"I assume you sense it then" Xanxus prompts his Millefiore counterpart.

"Yeah" replies Yamamoto, "Two of the really strong ones are on their way here".

" _One of them has a sabre"_ Byakuran informs his pupil while keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the horizon.

" _A sabre, not a sword, well this should be interesting"_ replies the new Millefiore boss.

" _Be careful Yamamoto, while the sabre may have inferior defensive capabilities, it's attack power is greater than the sword. Don't let your guard down"._

" _I won't"._

"One of them has a sabre according to Byakuran, that one is mine" declares Yamamoto.

"Roger".

In the blink of an eye the two powerful figures from the Yakuza close the distance to the mafia. These two are the most mysterious and craziest officers of the Yakuza, Kara and Varon respectively.

"I'm whose?" Kara asks while looking at Yamamoto.

"I, Yamamoto Takeshi will deal with you".

Yamamoto launches at Kara and swings his sword at her with full force, refusing to hold back from the beginning. As a result of the full force attack Kara only just manages to raise her sabre in time to block and is driven back parallel to the surface of the sea.

' _What power…'_ Kara notes as she is driven backwards.

As Yamamoto pursues Kara into the distance it leaves two great warriors on the battlefield, Varon and Xanxus.

"I guess that leaves for…" Xanxus begins before being interrupted.

Caring little for communication Varon reaches into his old dirty clothes and pulls out a weighted ball. The words alone don't do justice to the weight, when it is thrown at Xanxus however, he immediately falls backwards into the sea.

"BOSS" Belphegor shouts.

"Squalo, you're the best underwater, dive in and save him" Lussuria suggests with a panicked expression.

"DON'T LOSE YOUR HEADS" shouts Squalo, "The boss will be fine, he always has been fine. It's our job to fight the reinforcements that will inevitably come".

"Squalo is right" concludes the arcobaleno Mammon. Mammon is the most experienced fighter in the group and therefore his words carry great weight with his pears. "Let's do this".

Belphegor calms down and chuckles, "Well, I am a genius after all".

"Let's not let the boss down" decides Levi as he raises one of his parabolas to gather lightning.

"We'll give the others a show that displays what the Varia can do" smiles Lussuria. This is the Varia's time to shine.

 **Above the Varia Battlefield**

Explosions surround the blade wielding duo as they stare each other down. This is a battlefield in a war. Something the Vongola hadn't dealt with before was death on a mass scale. Now they are having to deal with it, this is the difference between a warrior and a soldier.

Yamamoto and Byakuran have no concern about their roles as soldiers right now. Despite the screams and the death their eyes are focused on Kara, underestimating the opponent in this situation would be foolhardy.

"I must say I'm quite surprised that you were able to push me back; however, that won't be happening again" Kara tells Yamamoto, "I have already made adjustments".

"Young lady, you are clearly strong, I can feel your aura and your sword intent from here" begins the Millefiore boss, "Despite that, I have been training with the blade for longer than you, I have dealt with more dangerous situations, your adjustments won't make a difference".

"Adjustments won't make any difference against superior power and technique" boasts the baseball star.

"I quite agree" replies Kara while maintaining her deadpan expression, "You seem to have misunderstood Yamamoto Takeshi".

Yamamoto starts, _"What is she talking about"_.

" _I don't know"_ returns Byakuran.

"I have technique, skill and power in much greater quantities than you" Kara takes her turn at boasting, "I'm just not wasteful".

"I'm not going to exert myself more than I have to, that would ruin my attire and would frustrate the master".

Yamamoto snickers, "You are worried about your clothes, you're not taking me seriously enough".

Kara begins to sound annoyed, "I already told you that I am, if you doubt me then come at me, I've already measured your strength and abilities".

" _Do you think she is bluffing"_ Byakuran asks his pupil, uncertain himself. The former Millefiore boss decides to trust in the instincts of his successor who has surpassed him.

" _I don't know, but it's not worth taking any chances, I will show her something she hasn't seen before"._

Yamamoto uses a trick he picked up fighting Squalo in his first Vongola ring contest. He raises the water from the ocean in an arc, using the arcing seawater to disguise his position. Given that he is floating above the water this is far more difficult than it was against Squalo where they were stood in the water. Since then Yamamoto has come a long way.

The Vongola rain guardian and Millefiore boss positions himself in Kara's blind spot. A clear opening. He thrusts his sword towards that blind spot, an unstoppable attack.

Though the attack should be unstoppable, especially when delivered by an expert at Yamamoto's level, it is blocked. Kara blocks in a way that looks very unnatural, the only limb she moves is her sabre wielding arm.

As Yamamoto tries to calm himself down from the shock Kara speaks her mind, "I did warn you about this didn't I".

Yamamoto jumps backwards, creating distance between the duellists.

" _What do I do, what can I possibly do against skill like that"_ Yamamoto asks his ghostly friend.

" _Calm down, you still have that ace up your sleeve"_ Byakuran replies. Normally an ace as strong as this would cause Byakuran to be calm and cheerful at a time like this. This opponent is different though, unlike any he has ever faced, including Vongola Bana.

Yamamoto sheathes his sword and draws a second sword. As the new sword is unsheathed a gold aura expands from the sword, a blinding light that has been the hope of Albion many times, now that light is the hope of Italy. The golden aura expands to cover Yamamoto's body.

"That sword, tell me, it is Excalibur isn't it" Kara questions.

"Exactly".

For the first time since seeing her, Yamamoto watched a small smile crawl onto Kara's face. "Your old enemy is back, my servant".

Unlike Yamamoto, Kara discards her sabre into the ocean as if it were a piece of scrap iron. On the other hand, she draws her new blade in the same matter the baseball freak did. This time an aura also spreads from the sword to cover her whole body, the aura is not the gold of hope, it is the grey colour closely associated with death.

" _What the hell is going on Byakuran"_ asks Yamamoto.

" _I don't know for sure but… I think that is the archenemy of Excalibur"._

"I'm sure you don't know this, not many people do, Clarent is the Ying to Excalibur's Yang. The dark to its light if you want to talk literally. These blades are the exact opposite, destined to fight for an eternity".

Yamamoto gulps down a mouthful of saliva before Kara continues.

"You didn't actually think you could obtain an advantage over me did you…".

 **The Shimon and CEDEF Warship**

At the head of the warship are stood all three of the seven great mafioso that it is carrying. Strongest Arcobaleno Reborn, Strongest CEDEF Basil and Strongest Shimon Enma.

"Here we go, get ready" instructs Reborn as he leaps up into the sky.

Enma enshrouds himself in the ultimate flame and follows Reborn up into the sky.

With a slightly greater degree of difficulty, Basil also uses the ultimate dying will flame and follows his two seniors into battle.

Standing across from the mighty trio are three Yakuza members who have come to deal with them. Kosuke Yaru, Kosuke Lucy and Sakura.

"Those two are the ones" Basil reminds his friends, "They are the ones who hurt Tsuna".

"And a child, playing some cheerful music" notes Enma before expression changes from serious to comical. "I can't hit a child".

Basil copies Enma's dismay, "Don't look at me, Mr Reborn, you're a child, you do it".

Reborn sighs, "I'm older than you two, still, this elder can teach this child a lesson or two".

Relieved that he will not be forced to use the weapon on a child, Enma draws his new ally, a huge hammer.

"A heavy weapon, my specialty" Yaru says aloud before leaping at Enma and kicking him with enough force to send the Shimon boss skidding across the water.

Not focusing on the battle behind him, Basil concentrates on the woman who is now his fated opponent, "The one who was going to kill Tsuna, I will take you on". Basil reveals his new weapon, a staff, formerly the property of his senior and a man he admired greatly, the 9th.

"You, take me on with that pitiful power you demonstrated back then" Lucy scoffs.

"I'm not the same…" begins Basil as he closes the distance to Lucy and slams his staff into her chest, "I'm not the same as I was back then".

As Lucy holds her chest and struggles to maintain her breath following the blow Basil turns to Reborn. "This is all your show now Mr Reborn".

"All on me huh" smiles Reborn as he pulls his whip from his jacket.

"Before we do this young one, tell me, why did you side with the Yakuza".

"Having slaves to do things for me is really fun, plus Gon and big brother Yaru are really nice and they like my music".

Sakura watches as Reborn spins his whip, "You're not so nice to me though".

As Sakura decides Reborn is her enemy she blows into her trumpet, sending a sound wave towards Reborn.

Reborn slashes vertically with his whip causing a collision. The solid object that is his whip is struggling to overcome the vibrational waves created by a child.

Sakura giggles at the encounter as if she is having the time of her life.

' _For a little girl, she has some serious strength'_ Reborn thinks to himself as he uses his whip to send the sound wave up into the air. _'This is not going to be easy'_.


	48. We're Not Going Back

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – WE'RE NOT GOING BACK**

 **The Varia Warship**

The Varia have all lost their former focus on the incredible energy that Tsuna and Honda are putting out. Right now their attention is divided between two things, the Yakuza ground soldiers that could be coming any minute and the battle that Xanxus is going through.

"Mafia DIE, DIE, DIE" Varon rabidly yells.

The Varia members look into the water. There is no sign of Xanxus. The water is choppy, a result of the distant battles, it would be hard to swim if the Varia leader had lost his dying will flame.

"Mafia… dead?" Varon shouts as he cranes his neck forward.

A whirlpool appears in the water with Xanxus at the centre. A huge cloud of steam rises from the epicentre of the whirlpool, an effect of the incredible heat Xanxus flames are putting out.

"Voi, what did I tell you, the boss is alive" Squalo shouts as he turns back towards his comrades.

"Don't get so overexcited Squalo, I was never going to lose from a hit like that". Xanxus locks eyes with Varon, wondering what he will see behind those eyes. The answer is just what he expects, there is nothing behind those eyes, the man is lost.

Xanxus raises his gun and fires a bullet towards Varon. As the bullet is launched rage flames latch onto it as if they have been drawn from the air with a magnet. Varon counters by throwing his ball directly at the bullet, the two collide in the air.

Varon easily overpowers Xanxus and the ball hurtles towards the mafioso. A hit from something like that would kill an ordinary man and the son of the 9th is not such a fool as to take it. He appears behind his opponent using his superior speed and manoeuvrability.

"Raw strength is nothing without skill" Xanxus lectures his opponent purposelessly.

The scarred mafioso fires two shots into the ankles of Varon in an attempt to weaken his footing. The follow up is a kick to Varon's chest reinforced by a smattering of rage flames.

Despite all the physical abuse Varon only stumbles backwards, hardly moving from his starting position. As the Varia leader refuses to let up and closes the distance the crazed Yakuza conjures up his retaliation. Gathering one of his heavy balls in each hand, Varon brings his arms towards each other in an exaggerated clapping motion.

Squalo takes note that Xanxus head is the target, "He's going to be hit".

Xanxus points his pistols downwards and fires into the sea, propelling himself upwards. He avoids the potentially lethal attack by the narrowest of margins.

The Varia leader falls down until he is on a level footing with Varon, as if the two are walking on an invisible floor. The latter takes no time in resuming his so far ineffective offensive. Making the most basic of attacks he simply pushes his two heavy balls towards the one he identifies as mafia.

Before the deadly weapons can reach him Xanxus hastens to fire a pair of shots at them. The collision of their powers forces both men to stagger back slightly. Even with superior technique and skill, it seems Xanxus is only on a level with Varon.

Lussuria looks to his most experienced comrade. "Mammon, what do you think is going to happen".

"The boss has superior skill and technique but the other guys destructive power is amazing" the Arcobaleno replies honestly. "I think the boss can win though".

"Of course he can win, he will win" Squalo insists, "His anger will burn more fiercely than ever before because he is being confronted by the people who killed his father".

 **Near to the Shimon Family Warship**

This is the location of the noisiest battle between the Mafia and Yakuza. Currently the 'warship' is engaging in battle with the Yakuza battleship. The 'warships' have received modifications from the Chiavarone family, mostly in an effort to bolster their weapons with the dying will flames, prior to that they were just battleships like any other.

The battling ships are not the cause of the noise though; the cause of the noise is the battle between the Hitman Tutor Reborn and the talented musician Sakura. As Sakura creates wave after wave of harmful sound, Reborn carefully uses his whip to deflect the waves in a direction where they will harm the least amount of people.

Sakura stomps her feet, if such a thing is possible in mid-air, following her lack of success. She doesn't believe there is a child in the world stronger than her. Sakura resolves herself and plays the loudest note she can, this creates a huge all-encompassing wave that Reborn cannot dodge.

Reborn places the whip out before him and rotates his wrist as quickly as he can. The last yard of the whip spins around the epicentre that has formed in line with the Arcobaleno's arm. This creates a circle, that circle cuts through the middle of Sakura's wave creating a hole with a small diameter, Reborn jumps through this to avoid harm.

After avoiding Sakura's strongest attack Reborn takes the offensive, leaping towards Sakura until he is right before the young girl. As Reborn throws a punch towards the Yakuza's face she narrowly dodges to the side.

"Missed me" taunts the youngster as she sticks her tongue out.

"No" Reborn smiles back to her and gestures to his other hand using his head.

Sakura looks at Reborn's other hand. "AHHH" she screams.

Reborn is holding a gun in his other hand, a gun he quickly fires. The bullet does not hit Sakura; such a thing is too barbaric for Reborn, the bullet knocks the trumpet away from the Yakuza.

"Sakura's trumpet" she childishly yells.

"Listen here little girl" Reborn begins, "I don't care about it being evil to use slaves or what people you are trying to impress. The Yakuza ruined my students wedding day and for that you must pay dearly".

The hitman brandishes his whip and pulls back his arm.

Sakura closes her eyes and clenches all of her muscles causing Reborn to hesitate.

' _She's scared'_ he concludes.

Reborn decides against killing his opponent. He hits her in the back of the neck, disabling her temporarily. With the weaker Yakuza members walking on the water as they fight below it is certain in his mind one of them will pick her up.

A few hundred meters away another major battle is taking place between the two heavy hitters. Kozato Enma and Kosuke Yaru.

Enma repeats an attack he has used many times in this fight. He creates a black hole and uses his hammer to propel the black hole into his opponent. This however, has no effect on Yaru, who reacts by kicking the hammer and sending the block hole up into the sky.

"Don't you get it yet" Yaru asks, "I can deflect your strongest attack, the only way you could have survived was to run".

Yaru smiles as if he has his prey in his sights. With everything going on around him perhaps all has needed is a good fight to relieve the stress he is feeling.

Suddenly as he regains his senses Yaru turns his head towards a nearby battle to see his friend falling towards the sea.

"SAKURA".

Yaru wastes no time, immediately abandoning his fight to aid his comrade.

The third battle in this area involves Yaru's sister Lucy and the CEDEF leader Basil.

Lucy summons a huge collection of glass that appears behind her with the sharp ends pointing at her potential victim. As the shards launch towards their target most men would be killed. Basil is not most men.

A trick he has seen the 9th do many times; Basil spins his staff at full speed, deflecting every shard of glass that is sent his direction. This kind of fight is perfect for him.

"Damn you…" Lucy curses.

Basil calmly stares his opponent down.

"I can't lose to some kid who was so weak the time we last met".

"I'm not the same as I was back then" Basil declares without blinking, "I'm afraid you will have to cope with the defeat".

As Basil says that Lucy is distracted by the beeping of her radio. This radio was handed out to all of the strongest Yakuza before this war began, a means of communicating.

"Master, we need help" the voice on the radio says.

' _It's my brother'_ Lucy realises as she locks her eyes on the aforementioned sibling. Currently he is a few hundred yards away, holding an injured Sakura on the surface of the water.

"Oh, you want to speak to me in the middle of a fight, what do you want" the master impatiently replies.

"It's Sakura, she's been defeated and she is injured, I need to get her somewhere with medical attention now".

"She needs help?" Honda questioned rhetorically.

"Yes" Yaru replies.

"Lucy, I know you can hear me" Honda begins, not caring that his voice is still audible to Yaru, "Your brothers clearly gone soft in the head, make sure he lets the child drown".

"I CAN'T DO THAT" Yaru yells into the radio, "I won't let her drown, no matter what".

"I have no need for weak soldiers" Honda explains, "If anyone is defeated yet survives, they will get the cane".

Yaru clenches himself as he looks towards his sister.

Basil and Reborn are eavesdropping on the conversation through the radios of Lucy and Yaru respectively. Both fail to understand why the remark has caused this moment of silence.

Bringing an end to the silence Lucy screams, a scream so loud that it can be heard even on the deck of the warship. It's like something in her mind has snapped.

Basil starts, still not understanding what is happening.

' _The way she has reacted to the mention of this cane, can it be that the Yakuza tortured her with it before'_ Reborn questions to himself.

The Hitman's thoughts are interrupted by an explosion of aura as Lucy begins to scream and shout.

"EVERYONE WILL DIE".

Reborn doesn't have time to ponder the important questions, he immediately warns Basil.

"WATCH OUT BASIL, SHE HAS JUST GOTTEN A LOT MORE DANGEROUS".

Unsure as to whether his words have reached Basil or not, Reborn moves in the direction of his battle as quickly as possible. The Hitman Tutor is followed by Enma who shares his concern for what is about to happen. Finally, Yaru picks Sakura up in his arms and follows them, hoping beyond hope that he can save his sisters mind.

Before any help can arrive Basil is attacked. Lucy summons a huge amount of glass; the greatest amount she has ever created which Reborn estimates must weigh several tonnes. Lucy continually regenerates the glass as she fires it at Basil without letting up. Basil attempts to block it but eventually a muscle spasm causes him to let the glass through his defensive wall. As blood seeps from Basil's body a chilling fact becomes obvious to Reborn.

Basil is dead.

"BASIL" Enma yells.

"Sis, you have to calm down" Yaru implores his elder sibling.

"NEVER, NEVER, NEVER" Lucy yells on repeat as she changes her target from Basil to Enma.

Enma's weapon is a hammer, he cannot defend himself against such an attack in the same way Basil did. His weapon is too heavy. As the glass bares down on the red-haired boss he closes his eyes.

Enma feels no glass and is not in any pain so he opens his eyes. His hope is that the horror has gone but it has not, for him it has greatly worsened.

Reborn got in the way.

Reborn took the hit for him.

"Reborn" Enma sobs as he spots his teacher falling towards the sea having lost control of his own body.

Enma chases after Reborn, determined not to let him fall into the sea in his condition.

"Sis, that's enough" Yaru yells to his sister.

No words are getting through to Lucy. "Everyone must die" she screams as she takes aim at the diving Enma.

Yaru positions himself between his beaten opponents and his dark haired sibling.

"THAT'S ENOUGH".

Lucy maintains the glass' position in the air as she looks at her brother. Something in her eyes seems to change for a moment before she lets out another primal scream. Lucy flies away while maintaining her screams and curses.

"Big brother Yaru, what do we do now" Sakura asks as she looks at Yaru with inquisitive eyes.

Yaru smiles and does his best to hold back his tears, "Don't worry Sakura, I'm going to take you somewhere really safe, then we can get your injuries looked at".

"Are we not going back" Sakura asks.

"No" Yaru replies as he begins to fly towards the coast of Italy, "No, we're not going back".


	49. Mr Reborn

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – MR REBORN**

 **Near the Shimon Family Warship**

As the battle between the mafia and rages on, countless people die. The Yakuza have greater numbers than even the combined forces of CEDEF and the Shimon family. The Shimon family is of course a very small family. Until recently they had been hidden to the world, waiting to take their revenge on the Vongola.

The Shimon family had only recently emerged once again yet right now they are dying. One after another. Shitt, Kaoru, Julie, Adelheid, Rauji and Koyo.

The entire Shimon family is dead, save one man.

Enma fails to realise what is going on all around him as he holds his bloody teacher in his arms. While everyone else is already dead Reborn may soon be joining them.

"REBORN" Enma yells.

Reborn struggles to open his eyes, eventually separating his eyelids his vision is filled with his most recent student. Reborn groans in pain before stretching out his senses. He realises that the Shimon family are dead and that he should tell Enma. The tutor makes a different decision though; he decides to just relax for a moment.

"Come on, we need to get you to Shamal" whispers Enma as he stands up.

Reborn groans in pain once again as Enma lifts the Arcobaleno.

"It's too late for that Enma" explains the tutor, "I have gone so far now, my death is already inevitable, nothing can be done about it".

"Don't talk like that". Enma sheds a tear, he has only been with the Hitman Tutor for a short while but has already come to rely on him.

"I'm a hitman Enma" Reborn looks into his pupil's eyes, "trust me, the only way for me to have a painless death is to stay right here".

Reborn says that just to comfort Enma. The death is by no means painless, it's just the least painful it could possibly be.

"I would have liked to have taken that easy retirement on the beach" smiles Reborn, "Perhaps it was my destiny to never take on an easy student".

Enma laughs through his tears before his eyes move down for a moment, "I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you, I couldn't give that to you".

Reborn shakes his head, "You didn't need to protect me Enma, after all, you are my student".

Enma thinks back to all the lessons that Reborn has taught him. How to fight, how to talk to important people, how to deal with his family, even how to relax properly.

"I applied for that university you recommended to me" Enma begins with his eyes closed, "I am always looking for ways to improve my family".

"We are starting to expand, we are doing more charity and community work" continues the Shimon boss, "I was learning so much in the short time you were with me".

Enma sniffles and his tears begin to truly flow, "And there's so much more I want you to teach me Mr Reborn".

Reborn realises how close he has become to Enma and tries not to cry himself. "Don't cry now Enma. If there is a god then he is not from the Yakuza, he is waiting for me and I'm sure he has a big beach up there in the sky that would be just perfect".

"But you still have a duty to carry out" Reborn instructs Enma with a whisper, "Remember that if even one member is still alive the will of the family will carry on. That is what the dying will flame is meant to be, the will of those who are dying and in my opinion the dead".

"So if one member of my family, the Vongola family, is to survive they are depending on the help of the Shimon family" the Arcobaleno says as he taps Enma's forehead.

"I can't help them myself, so I'm leaving my responsibilities to you Enma".

Reborn's eyes slowly shut as Enma's eyes are fixed wide open.

The Hitman Tutor Reborn, is dead.

Enma looks around for a way to bury Reborn but can find no suitable means of doing so. The red-haired Shimon family boss decides to cremate his teacher using the ultimate dying will flame.

Enma spends a few moments scattering Reborn's ashes in the sea before he finally regains his senses.

' _Are my family… all dead...'_.

Enma no longer cries but instead grinds his teeth in fury. He looks at the invading Yakuza members, as they gradually overpower the last members of the CEDEF.

Enma is the only truly major power on this battlefield.

"YAKUZA" he yells, "NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU IS LEAVING HERE ALIVE".

 **Near the Mafia Police Warship**

The battle has favourable conditions for Bana, the wind is at a low enough speed such that his arrows aren't greatly affected. His opponent uses projectiles with less mass than his own and his opponent is larger than him and should therefore have a harder time dodging.

The battle also has one key disadvantage for Vongola Bana. His friends are in close proximity. Whether purposefully or not, Gon's choice of attacks have led to Bana getting closer and closer to his officers.

Bana fires another arrow at Gon, full speed and full power, all out is the only answer for the second strongest mafioso from here on out.

Gon replies in kind, throwing a dart that collides perfectly with the arrow. The centre of the collision becomes the focus for a huge outward force, something that would affect normal men and women but not the Yakuza and Mafia members fighting nearby.

"Are we going to keep going back and forth like this all day old man" goads Bana, not wanting this to turn into a contest of stamina. Such a contest could never be won while going all out. "Or do you have something more up your sleeve".

Gon sighs, "It's a pity, you are such a promising young man. Come on, let's finish this".

The previous actions are taken once again. Bana puts his full strength into firing an arrow at Gon and Gon replies by throwing a dart as hard as he can at Bana. The two objects collide in mid-air. This time, something is different.

As the two objects collide, Gon's dart seems to move along the length of Bana's arrow before the two projectiles separate and carry on with slightly different paths.

' _It changed'_ Bana says to himself.

As his arrow continues into the atmosphere, Bana notices that the collision wasn't meaningless this time.

Unimpeded and with near full force Gon's dart hits Bana in the chest.

Everything goes black for Bana for a moment. He yells to himself in his head though, _'No, you have to stand up, your family are here'_.

The chief of the Mafia Police realises he is falling through the air and quickly steadies himself using the ultimate flame.

"How…" Bana mutters while locking eyes with Gon.

"It's not a complicated thing, your power is truly amazing, clone of Primo" the elderly man begins, "But darts are much easier to control than arrows, if I am to adjust my aim slightly, I can hit you while avoiding being hit myself".

"I refuse to believe you can do it again" huffs Bana as he fires at his opponent once more.

"Foolish" Gon curses under his breath as he repeats his pervious action.

Now Bana has two darts lodged in his chest.

"BANA" yells Kyoko as she begins to run towards her boss.

"GET BACK" the blonde clone yells as he yanks the darts from his chest.

Kyoko stops with a look of shock all over her face. _'Are you really going to die… please, let me help you?'._

As if reading Kyoko's mind Bana explains, "If everything I care about dies along with me then I will have truly failed, SO RUN".

"Bana…" Kyoko starts.

Bana stumbles along with blood pouring from his chest. He slowly approaches Gon despite his weakened state.

"I have shown you with absolute logic that you cannot win, so why do you keep going" Gon asks in a way that is more curious than condescending.

"I know I can't win" explains the blonde, "I'm not as strong as Tsuna, I'm not as good a boss, I know that".

"I know that I am a clone of Vongola Primo, no, that I am the son of Vongola Primo and that I can never be as good as him… I KNOW THAT".

"I still have to fight you though; it doesn't matter if I win or lose".

"I will buy time for my friends to escape even if I have to lose because if one person with the dying will flame escapes… then we still have hope, SO FIGHT ME".

The Mafia Police watch on in amazement.

"Bana…" sobs Kyoko.

"Tsk" grunts Lancia.

"Boss" Sorata starts.

Tokata opts against speaking and decides to lower his head in respect. His thoughts are interrupted by his fellow guardian.

"You can win, go for it, beat him" smiles Kyoko.

"Yeah" Sorata says with a hint of surprise, "You've got this, you can beat anybody".

"Go for it" Tokata yells.

"We're all right here boss, remember the most important part of the dying will flame is the part that concerns your will" Lancia reminds his boss.

Bana smiles, "What am I supposed to do with officers like you guys".

Bana gathers the last of his flames on his fist and swings them at Gon.

Gon dodges with ease and throws a dart into Bana's back, the point blank range leading all who are watching to believe that the clone's dead.

"BANA" screams Kyoko as she runs over and catches the bowman before he falls into the water.

Gon looks at the young woman before him with sympathy in his eyes. "He's not dead… I appreciated his act of courage so I will let you all live today".

"It's not like our boss… it's not like god needs you guys dead; he is only worried about Sawada Tsunayoshi".

"So young lady, consider my act of charity and your boyfriends wishes… run" emphasises Gon as he turns his back and flies back towards the nearest Yakuza warship.


	50. Overdrive

**RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – OVERDRIVE**

 **Near the Sawada Family's Warship**

This is one of the rare battlefields where the mafia have an overwhelming advantage. The presence of Gokudera, Haru and Lambo goes a long way towards this. They may not be the strongest of those fighting on the surface of the water but they are the best co-ordinated. Haru and Gokudera were once engaged and Lambo has been like a little brother to Gokudera for many years.

Gokudera continues to press forward, trying to drive home the advantage, he considers that it is possible he could bomb one of the enemy's battleships should he be allowed to get close enough.

The storm guardian's thoughts are interrupted as his boss lands on the water next to him. Tsuna is gasping for air, the effects of the battle present in the form of scars all over his body. While he may be in this state Tsuna is only at a slight disadvantage, he is far from giving up.

"It's time" Gokudera smiles as he turns to his boss, "Use what you have learnt, your hyper intuition has surely helped you out".

Tsuna smiles, "You know me far too well Gokudera ".

The 10th Vongola boss waits for a moment as he catches his breath before he flies back up into the sky. Stood there are the world's greatest darkness and the world's greatest light, staring each other down.

Honda makes a wry smile. "Hyper intuition is it? You know, I gave it that name when I faced Primo originally. I wonder what you discovered".

Tsuna coils his fist tightly, those who have seen this before recognise this as the pose he makes before his 'rage edition breakthrough'. In keeping with the pose orange 'rage' flame gathers on the elder Sawada brothers fist. Sweat forms on his brow as the flame continues to grow to a far greater size than it ever has before.

"He really has an even stronger version of rage edition" Haru remarks with wide eyes. "I wonder what will happen".

The flame continues to grow on Tsuna's hands for a short while before it changes. Instead of growing outwards the flames condense and form a very tight layer around his fist.

Tsuna looks at his enflamed hands, and recalls how Honda told him that he is no different to Primo.

"Now" says the chestnut haired boss, "Let's see if I'm any different to Primo".

Honda frowns and looks down his nose at his younger counterpart, "A slight increase in strength won't make a difference".

Ignoring Honda's taunts Tsuna closes the distance between the duo in very quick time. Before the Yakuza boss can react the mafia boss has pushed his enlightened fist hard into the old man's face.

As Honda finds himself hurtling backwards through the air he reflects on the first surprise Tsuna has given him.

' _WHAT'S THIS'_ the grey haired boss asks himself.

Tsuna doesn't allow Honda to steady himself. The former no-good punches the air three times causing fist-shaped flame projectiles to launch at Honda.

Honda punches the fist-shaped projectiles as they reach him, he successfully avoids all damage as he punches the last fist away but is quickly shocked back into action. Sawada Tsunayoshi was hiding in the wake of that last fist.

Honda only his time for his eyes to widen as Tsuna's palm strikes him across the face, driving the former down into the sea. For the first time since the fight begun, Tsuna has the upper-hand.

"Look at him go" shouts Iemitsu, filled with pride as he watches his son fight this evil force.

"Tsuna's so cool" I-pin says.

"See" Lambo shrugs, "Brother won't lose, no matter what".

"Yeah" nods Gokudera. _"Way to go 10_ _th_ _"._

Tsuna lands and looks down at the water, there is no movement. He decides to land next to Gokudera and hesitates for a moment before smiling to his storm guardian.

"You did it" Gokudera chuckles.

"We did it" replies Tsuna.

The water beneath them starts to bubble causing all the mafioso to look at it questioningly with the exception of their boss. Tsuna adopts a defensive pose as Honda emerges from the water and punches his opponent up into the air. As the elderly man joins him they are left standing off once again.

"I'm getting rather fed up of all this" declares Honda as a translucent white aura appears around him.

'" _His strength is multiplying'_ Tsuna notes as he lowers his head, _'So he has an ability like this as well'._

The aura around Honda suddenly intensifies by several levels causing Tsuna to step back slightly. As the intensity increases the Vongola Boss hears one-word slip out of Honda's mouth.

"Overdrive".

Honda looks at his opponent with tired-looking eyes, "Nobody has ever made me use this form before" he declares.

Tsuna analyses the statement, _'Never used it before, so that's why you look fatigued, in that case I can…'._

"Now it's all over" Honda interrupts Tsuna's thoughts, "Sawada Tsunayoshi".

Before Tsuna has the chance to react Honda takes revenge for the slap from earlier. He slaps Tsuna into the sea. The Yakuza leader's attack is far more devastating than his Mafia counterparts. With one attack, Tsuna is out cold.

"TSUNA" Iemitsu yells.

"I'll get him" Gokudera shouts as he stops walking on the water and falls into it.

"I'll come too" adds Haru as she copies the engineer by falling into the water.

If Tsuna is simply unconscious, then it is important for them to save him. He is the greatest hope the world has and if he is to survive this ordeal he can fight Honda again at a later date. That is however, if he is alive.

 **Near the Varia Warship**

A terrifying black aura stems from Kara's sword.

The blonde Yakuza smiles slightly, "Oh, Clarent is eager but I'm afraid the fight won't last long now".

Yamamoto snickers, "Really, then let me show you what Excalibur can do".

The baseball star swings her sword downwards, light gathers on the end and when the slashing motion is complete, travels towards Kara.

The Yakuza doesn't rush herself and her counter-attack is performed in a slow and leisurely manner. She lowers her sword much like Yamamoto and sends her own flying attack, the meeting of Excalibur and Clarent.

As the two flying slashes collide in the air there is no dramatic outward force, no struggle for supremacy. Instead the attack of Clarent instantly overpowers that of Excalibur.

With one attack, Excalibur is destroyed.

Yamamoto can't speak he looks at his sword in terror.

" _That's not possible"_ Byakuran speaks to Yamamoto, _"That sword is the strongest in the world, it can't have been destroyed"._

In the distance a huge bang can be heard as fireworks coloured yellow and green explode in a dramatic fashion, there is no way they could be missed. Yamamoto knows what this is.

This is the escape signal.

The Mafia have lost.

Yamamoto grits his teeth as he is overcome with an uncharacteristic anger. "I'll be back Yakuza" he yells.

"Count on it".

As Yamamoto turns his back he heads back towards the Millefiore warship. Feeling it is his duty to help his family escape. If nothing else the Millefiore will keep fighting the Yakuza.

 **Near the Sawada Family's Warship**

"You bastard" Iemitsu yells as he prepares himself to attack Honda.

Honda shakes his head as he observes Tsuna's father, "Annoying ones".

The Yakuza boss punches the air creating a few flames which hurtle towards those on the surface. There is no way that any of them can survive an attack from Honda, he is out of their league.

I-Pin grips onto Lambo's shirt subconsciously as the thunder guardian thinks about how to protect his friend and father. To the child's great surprise, the two of them are pushed backwards along the surface of the water.

Lambo looks away from the flames which are now going to miss he and I-pin. He looks to the source of the push, his own father.

Iemitsu smiles meaningfully towards Lambo before disappearing in the sea of flames.

Sawada Iemitsu is dead.

"FATHER" Lambo shouts.

"Lambo" I-Pin tugs her friend's shirt.

The cow-printed child turns around to look at his family's warship, it is in flames, it is sinking. This makes it certain, Sawada Nana is also dead. Lambo has lost both of his parents.

"Damn you… Lambo will…" Lambo gnashes his teeth, "LAMBO WILL BE BACK".

The thunder guardian cloaks his body in his recently acquired blue lightning and runs as quickly as he can. Right now his first thought is to get I-Pin to the nearest allied warship. There they will find the remaining Vongola guardians.

 **Underwater**

Haru begins to drag Tsuna towards the surface before Gokudera pulls the boss down.

The storm policewoman looks at her guardian counterpart in surprise but sees he is pointing towards something. The fireworks, the retreat signal has been sent.

Haru tightly closes her eyes for a moment before she nods to Gokudera. The two drag Tsuna away. This must be settled another day.

 **Near the Varia Warship**

"Xanxus the escape signal has sounded" shouts Squalo.

"Damn you" retorts Xanxus, "I can win this fight".

"We all know that, but you have to retreat".

"Retreat" Xanxus replies mockingly, "GO TO HELL".

"These are the ones who killed my old man, I won't let them live".

Squalo sighs, "You have to let go Xanxus, you must have felt it by now. I felt Basil die and the boss' energy has disappeared… he might be dead".

"SO WHAT" Xanxus yells in reply.

"Don't you understand" Squalo says with wide eyes, "Right now… right now… you could be the Vongola's leader, YOU COULD BE OUR LAST HOPE".

"You can win but for the sake of everyone else, for the sake of Vongola, for the sake of the old man's dream, you have to run" finishes Squalo.

The Varia leader grits his teeth before firing his guns towards Varon. He does it not to attack the insane Yakuza but to get away with the rest of his team.

"I WILL BE BACK YOU BRAIN DEAD MORON".

 **The Chiavarone Warship**

The bridge of the warship is chaotic, so many people are running about carrying messages from all different ships. They ask each other what to do but nobody has the answers, this is the first time they have tasted devastation on such a scale.

"What is happening" asks Dino hurrying to get his words out, "Have we got confirmation on the retreating groups, have we got contact Romario?".

Romario stammers, "I… I can't get through to any of them boss".

What Romario refers to is the radio system he worked hard to setup before the war began. Such a system was created in case of retreat so that the strongest amongst the mafia could reunite and work together.

"What… how… why" Dino stutters.

Hibari calmly explains, "The Yakuza saw this coming and have worked on our communication lines".

"Bucking Bronco, this is our complete defeat".

Dino looks at the table before him, he doesn't blink and his mouth is hung wide open.

Hibari leans on the table and puts his face close to it in an attempt to make eye contact with his former teacher, "We have to run now".

Dino still can't form sentences, "Run… but… retreat… my fault… I".

Hibari lashes out in an action that is distinctly out of character for a cloud guardian, "You're still Mafia" he shouts while he hits the table, "Lives are in your hands so put your responsibilities first".

"OK" Dino whispers while nodding vigorously, "Let's get out of here everyone".

On Dino's orders the Chiavarone Mafia members begin to get into a boat designed for them to escape in. The Captain of the warship wishes Dino good luck and promises to hold off the Yakuza while they escape.

As the escape boat flea's from the battlefield the Chiavarone boss looks at the ships nearby. While the great heroes known as Mafia run away Honda appears and demolishes battleships one after another before finally destroying the warship.

Dino lowers his head, "Let's go Romario, to the shelter".

As the Chiavarone Mafia head towards their escape point, the Mafia have no means of communicating with one another. Several of their strongest members are dead and the two strongest are unconscious. It is inevitable that the world will quickly fall into the hands of the Yakuza, there is nowhere on Earth they will be safe.

There are only two words to describe the outcome of this very brief war.

Total defeat.


	51. The New World

**THE NEW WORLD – THE NEW WORLD**

 **A disused house, Austria**

Following the great battle Gokudera saw fit to carry Tsuna as far away as he could get. Along with Haru they ran North as fast as they could go without being detected by the enemy forces. They continued to run north as far as they could but the Yakuza forces overtook them. It happened unbelievably quickly, especially when aided with the surrender of the world's major powers, in merely two days the Yakuza ruled the entire world.

In the disused house Gokudera looks out a nearby broken window, scanning for any traces of Yakuza he can find. It's cold but nothing the mafia can't cope with. The sun sets early over the horizon as an orange tinge fills the silent room.

Haru glances at Gokudera without saying anything. The storm policewoman no longer feels any hostility towards her ex-fiancée but she cannot find the words to say, the two of them are on the run in central Europe watching over the world's last hope, Sawada Tsunayoshi. And the 10th boss has regained consciousness since his fight with Honda.

Another day passes, the only words the two offer each other concern whether they should move location or who's turn it is to watch.

' _What's the point of all this'_ Gokudera asks himself, _'Even if the 10_ _th_ _wakes up he might not be able to defeat Honda'_.

It is indeed the case, Tsuna fought harder than he had ever done before when he fought the Yakuza boss. The man formerly known as no-good Tsuna had used his most powerful attack and failed to kill an opponent who wasn't in his strongest form, the situation is about as hopeless as it can get.

"Hayato" Haru exclaims as she turns to her guardian counterpart, "He's awake".

The storm guardian whips his head around and swiftly walks over to the side of the rusty bed that Tsuna is lying on.

"10th… 10th… 10th" recites Gokudera in an attempt to wake up his best friend.

Tsuna yawns as if waking up from a good night's sleep. "Gokudera… Haru…?".

Tsuna looked around questioningly as if he had just started to remember what had happened.

"What happened" Tsuna asks with a panicked expression, "Did I… did I lose…".

Gokudera tensed his face and closed his eyes. Haru clenches her fists tightly, as Gokudera explains to Tsuna what has happened.

"10th, the mission" Gokudera begins, "the mission was a complete failure".

Tsuna's mouth drops as he looks rapidly between his two subordinates, "What… no way… then is everyone OK… just what happened".

Gokudera recounts the events of the previous few weeks to his boss, "We only focused on our job" he begins, "Our job was to get you to safety as quickly as possible".

"Where are all the others then?" the chestnut haired mafioso questions.

Haru interjects to save Gokudera from having to further explain their failures, the failures that Gokudera feels he, as the boss' right hand man is responsible for. "Tsuna, the wireless sets that Dino gave us, the Yakuza tampered with them".

"Then we are doomed" Tsuna comments.

"10th…" Gokudera murmurs as he grits his teeth.

Watching as the Mafia's two leading lights stand in silence Haru tries to offer hope. "There must be something we can do, there always is isn't there?".

"I can't train anymore" Tsuna says as he looks into his lap.

Haru starts.

Gokudera looks at his boss with wide eyes, "What do you mean 10th".

This is the most devastating news that the storm duo could possibly receive. If Tsuna had a month in which he could train freely then it is quite possible that he could defeat Honda and free the world, yet now the boss is declaring that he can't train.

"When you get to such a high level, if I try and push my limits any more then Honda will definitely sense my presence, even on the opposite side of the world".

Gokudera gasps as he understands what Tsuna is saying.

"As soon as I attempt any worthwhile training from now on he will feel it and come running".

Haru also begins to understand what Tsuna means. The mafia boss has now reached such a high level that when he ascends to his ultimate form it very nearly causes an earthquake. Also when you reach a higher level your sense gets stronger, your ability to detect other great powers increases, therefore it is possible that Honda would detect Bana on the other side of the world, never mind Tsuna.

With no way to train without having to fight a battle Tsuna can't win, the mafia are doomed to failure.

 **Southern America**

Southern America, more specifically Brazil is the location that the Millefiore family have chosen to flee to. Ganma had some ties here before he joined the family and Yamamoto suggested that they make full use of that when they run.

The family was fortunate to come out of the battle with most of its members alive and well however, that helps very little in a war against the great force known as the Yakuza. Even if Yamamoto were to spend another 10 years training the odds are he could not overcome the man who proclaimed himself to be god.

"Nothing" Ganma says as he shakes the radio set in his hand, "No communication with the others whatsoever, this thing isn't working".

Yamamoto ignores his subordinate as he finally has a moment to just sit down. As the baseball star sits down he places before him the shattered sword of King Arthur, Excalibur.

"It really broke" Yamamoto mumbles.

Yuni realises how shell-shocked her recently appointed boss is, she lowers herself to her knees and looks up into the man's eyes. "I know it's hard to believe what has happened but we need to look at what we are going to do next Yamamoto".

Seeing that the black haired boss is unresponsive Yuni turns to her most faithful companion, "Ganma, do you have any idea what we should do now".

The blonde haired guardian turns to his former boss, "Yuni, I don't know how to say this subtly so I'll just have to come out with it".

"The chances are Sawada is dead, any actions we make here, even if we were to repair Excalibur, they will be useless" he gently continues.

"The only small hope we have is if we find Sawada Tsunayoshi alive, so I suggest we start searching using small, local-level resistance groups".

Yuni nods at the plan, "Does that meet your approval boss".

As if he can't hear anything Yamamoto continues to stare at his broken sword, his ghostly mentor Byakuran doing the same.

"Boss" Yuni calls to him again.

Still no response.

"YAMAMOTO".

Finally, after a few seconds the Millefiore Boss and Vongola Rain guardian replies, "Yeah, do anything you can, I will focus on this blade".

"Sorry but right now I am not of much use to you" Yamamoto explains, "If you need me to any fighting or anything like that just point me in the right direction and say go".

" _Yamamoto, you need to avoid getting out of the picture"_ Byakuran encourages his pupil, realising how depressing his attitude is.

" _Out of the picture"_ Yamamoto replies as he sighs internally, _"I can't help that feel right now, the entire Mafia is out of the picture"._

 **A Few Months Pass, A Hideout in Europe**

Tsuna and the storm duo had spent several months running from hideout to hideout, taking note of the situation in various cities and assessing just what was going on. It was too hard to get a full picture of what was happening in the world though, several cities the trio walked into they were recognised from wanted posters and had to immediately run to avoid detection by Honda.

The hideout the trio are using this time is a bit more recently abandoned. Haru looked around at the family photographs and theorised that they were very religious.

' _Perhaps they left to pray for my victory at the Vatican'_ Tsuna postulates.

Gokudera hits the top of a TV he has been tinkering with and smiles as he declares, "Right, we have a signal".

For the first time in a very long time the trio feast their eyes on an audio-visual broadcast, although they feel strange watching TV during the world's greatest crisis it is necessary to determine what is happening across the globe. Perhaps there is some resistance in the American continent.

The channel that came appeared to be a news channel of some sort. The woman who Tsuna guesses to be the presenter, is dressed formally with a small tattoo on her right hand. Clearly she is under the influence of the Yakuza.

"That is when god defeated the evil human leaders and proclaimed that we are all his slaves" she announces, "Please do your best to obey god, it is not beyond reason for a god to kill mortals if they irritate him".

Tsuna gasps at what is watching, "This… this is propaganda… they are calling him god".

"They are encouraging people to worship him" Tsuna points to the TV as he turns to his two followers.

"A man who has worked out the secret to an eternal lifespan, a man with the power to control anyone in the world with a click of his fingers, a man who can sense anyone who can even come close to rivalling him and his opponent was defeated in a single hit when he used full power" Gokudera says, "That man is the closest thing to a god this planet has ever had".

"If only I had…" Tsuna begins as his body trembles, "If I had beaten him people wouldn't be going through this… I've let everybody down".

"You haven't let anybody…" Haru begins before she is interrupted.

"I HAVE HARU" the boss shouts without holding back, "Don't you get it, their prayers were all the same, please make Tsuna win, the people from this very house were probably the same".

"Well guess what, I lost and now they are all suffering for it" the Vongola boss finishes as he storms out the houses living room to find somewhere he can be alone.

Against Haru's expectations Gokudera falls to his knees and tears begin streaming from his eyes.

"Hayato" the storm policewoman exclaims.

"This is… it's all too much" sobs the second-in-command, "I just can't cope Haru".


	52. The Fateful Chase

**THE NEW WORLD – THE FATEFUL CHASE**

 **The Trio's Hideout**

Following Tsuna's moment of rage Gokudera begins to hyperventilate. Haru realises that he is probably about to have a panic attack and she doesn't blame him at all. Gokudera has worked hard for months, he is the only reason she has been able to avoid losing her mind, he has protected Tsuna as they have travelled the continent and yet Tsuna woke up only to tell him that there is no hope.

Haru sits Gokudera down on an old leathery sofa and takes a hold of his head with a hand on each cheek.

"Hayato, calm down" Haru begins only to see it is having no effect.

"Look at me". Haru firms up her voice, knowing that right now she needs to snap Gokudera out of this state.

Gokudera manages to raises his head to look at his comrade, shocking Haru with the way he holds his eyes wide open.

The Mafia Police member quickly calms herself, "We will find a way out of this, do you understand me, we will find a way out of this".

"If I had…" Gokudera whispers, "If I had trained the 10th better in the first place this wouldn't have happened".

"Listen to me, you did a fantastic job of training him, better than anyone could have done" praises Haru.

Haru gained her belief for Gokudera's training methods when she visited him the night before battle. Unlike many other members of the mafia Haru was capable of keeping up with the science behind the engineering supervisor's work and could see the genius in what he was doing. The storm guardian's training methods were the most efficient the mafia had ever seen.

Gokudera closes his eyes tightly and shakes his head free from Haru's grasp. "Reborn, Xanxus, Hibari, they could all have done better".

"No, they couldn't and you know that, this is not your fault, understand Hayato".

The engineer reluctantly nods bringing a smile to Haru's face. The latter heads into the kitchen and brings the former a glass of water, forcing him to promise that he would drink it while she went to check on their boss.

"I'm going to check on Tsuna then". Haru heads out of the room and searches the upstairs for Tsuna. She finds him in a child's bedroom not that different to the one they all met in when they were teenagers.

Tsuna doesn't share the state of panic his right-hand-man was in a few moments ago. The 10th gazes out the window at the setting sun, as if contemplating the meaning of life itself.

"Hey, have you calmed down yet" smiles the sword user.

"Yeah" replies Tsuna, "I'm sorry about my behaviour".

"Hayato is in a terrible state downstairs, I don't know if he is going to be able to keep moving forward" explains Haru with a frown on her face.

"Don't worry, I will carry him, feed him, keep him safe, I'm willing to look after him for the remainder of his life if that is what is required, he is family after all".

Haru nods not knowing whether she should be grateful or whether she should expect this much from the man who is technically her boss.

"He's blaming himself for his defeat you know?".

"I know" the boss responds.

"Did you know he came up with a way for you to get stronger?" the storm policewoman asks.

"What do you mean?" the 10th questions, confirming to Haru that he doesn't know of this method to get stronger.

Haru smiles, "In his spare time he was showing me the data from your zero-point breakthrough, you can still get stronger, if you move even further in the x-axis".

Tsuna smiles for a moment before shaking his head vigorously, "But it will take a lot of training and I can only move it further into the x-axis in ultimate mode".

Tsuna brings up the most fatal flaw of any potential training, "Honda will sense me and come after us".

"Then we will run" declares Haru.

"Run?". Tsuna looks at Haru as if she is crazy, if they were to allow time for an escape following each bout of training it would mean that Tsuna could only train for a few minutes at a time.

"Yes, run". Haru says it once again, setting up her explanation, "We'll run every time we have to, we will do it for years if that's what you need but you are Sawada Tsunayoshi dammit, you are going to save these people".

Tsuna turns to his subordinate and offers her a warm smile, "When did you start believing in me again".

Haru looks away from him. The stubbornness she obtained while being trained by Vongola Bana causing her to maintain her grudge against Tsuna even now that she realises the whole incident was the Yakuza's fault and not the mafia's.

"I don't believe in you, I believe in Hayato and he has placed his belief in you" she justifies, "Even now, deep down, he believes you are going to find a way to save him and I'm not going to let you prove him wrong".

"You've stood up so many times before and I'm not going to let this time be any different".

"Thank you Haru, it's like you say, we'll find a way, I'll protect Gokudera, defeat the Yakuza and free the world, one step at a time".

The duo head down stairs and Tsuna pokes his head into the living room.

"Hey Gokudera, what are you doing, it's time to go now".

Gokudera raises his head to look at the source of the voice, "10th".

"What are you waiting around for, Haru and I can't save the world all by ourselves you know" the boss enthusiastically declares.

A moment passes before Gokudera gets to his feet. "I've got it".

"Let's do this, 10th, Haru".

 **One Year Later, Istanbul**

Another year has passed, during this time Tsuna, Gokudera and Haru have frantically been searching for a way in which Tsuna could train and make a quick getaway. It has been exceedingly difficult though. The easiest way to escape would be using some form of transport but if any of them are caught doing it Honda will move to the country and Tsuna will have even less time to train before he has to run.

In the latest search for training methods, the trio have made the exceptionally risky move of travelling to the city of Istanbul. Ironically Istanbul has become a more peaceful place since the Yakuza took control of the world, the city formerly plagued by national and international violent incidences has become better guarded. The iron hand of a dictator may have ironically fixed many of the world's issues.

In the past year terrorism in the middle east has vanished. Terrorism in the middle east and Asia was formerly an attempt to take control of the nations in which it was present. Even the most brainwashed of terrorists realised this was impossible when Honda took control of the world. If the combined armies of the world couldn't defeat the Yakuza, what hope did they have.

Despite the removal of some of the world's problems the situation should not have been mistaken for an improvement. Curfews had been introduced all over the world and taxation had been increased enormously. The lower classes are starving in the streets while the middle classes are just about surviving. Slowly the upper classes are losing their ability to buy luxuries and are becoming closer and closer to having to spend all their money on essentials.

At night in the city of Istanbul the only people on the well-lit streets are the enforcement officers of the Yakuza. They patrol the streets just like their comrades do all over the world, looking for the mafia and reporting it if they see them. This is Honda's attempt to kill of any survivors of the battle, as the propaganda would put it, 'god's children are helping him to remove his enemies'.

The enforcers are hand-picked by lower-ranking members of the Yakuza, those who fought atop the water in the battle against the mafia. Certainly all of whom could not be killed using the guns and bullets the world had come to be reliant upon. These enforcers can be identified by their dark green hoods and capes. They also have a small tattoo on their right hand, a sign of their allegiance to the Yakuza.

The enforcement officers are particularly identifiable to the trio of mafioso lead by Sawada Tsunayoshi, because they are being chased by them at this moment.

"They've got us completely surrounded" Gokudera comments as he runs through the darker side streets with his two friends.

"Then we will have to use force" Haru asserts.

Tsuna shakes his head gently without turning around. "These guys are weak, chances are they are just slaves and that the Yakuza has broken their minds".

"Yes that may be true but there is a problem, if they catch up with us and confirm we are mafia they will report our whereabouts to Honda" retorts Gokudera.

The group turn left at the end of the street they are running down only to find that the enforcement officers are waiting at the end. With no other options they turn around and continue to run the other direction.

' _Damn'_ Tsuna thinks to himself, _'They are too well organised'_.

"Haru and I are able to run using our powers but if you run then your power would draw Honda like a moth to a flame" the storm guardian reminds the boss.

Tsuna begins with a low voice, "If you two escape then I will be…".

"SHUT THE HELL UP" screams Haru.

"Haru…".

"Have you seen nothing of this new world, the only one who could ever stop Honda is you" Haru proclaims with certainty, "It doesn't matter if you have to sacrifice every single member of the mafia. If you do then that is your job, you have to do it Tsuna".

"She's right 10th, let Haru and I attack, our power won't draw Honda's attention… let's sacrifice these few for the sake of the many".

Tsuna stops in his tracks with a sigh as he hears the steps of the approaching enforcement officers.

"Fine, go for it but only on my word".

The leader of the group raises her gun and points it at Tsuna.

"Name yourself" the leader says with a loud voice.

Tsuna flinches when she speaks, his hyper intuition speaking to him.

' _That was perfect Turkish indeed but this woman isn't Turkish, her accent has a hint of Japanese in it'_ he notes to himself.

As the leader loads her gun Tsuna begins, "My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi".

Upon the declaration the enforcement officers all begin to chat between themselves.

Gokudera has yet to receive the go ahead from Tsuna so he mulls over the situation, _'No wonder they are shocked, the 10_ _th_ _is the most wanted man in this new world'_.

The leader of the group lowers her gun for a moment before she takes down her hood. She is revealed to be a woman with a slightly aged face covered by wispy strands of blonde hair. Tsuna sizes her up and realises for the first time how tall she is.

' _This lady doesn't appear to be Japanese, she looks American, perhaps she spent her youth in Japan'._ Tsuna decides not to dwell on the subject.

"I will withhold my full name for safety purposes" the leader declares, "But you can call me Ellen, I used to be a part of the US Military".

Tsuna continues to look at the woman, Ellen as she has named herself, he decides that she must have been raised in Japan and joined the US military at a later date.

"What do you want" Tsuna asks finally, "Are you going to contact Honda".

Ellen smiles, "What do I want, millions of people were depending on you when you decided to battle Honda and then you lost, you let them all down, men and women across the world".

Ellen approaches Tsuna, "I want to speak to you on behalf of the millions who felt let down when you lost that battle".

Ellen extends her hand to Tsuna.

"Welcome to the resistance, boss".

Tsuna hesitates for a moment, shocked that such a thing has happened. Recovering from his daze, he quickly and firmly shakes Ellen's hand. This is the best news that the mafia have received in over a year, there is a resistance movement.

The enforcement officers surrounding the mafia cheer as the raise their guns into the air and pump their fists.

' _How hard must it have been'_ Gokudera contemplates, _'All this time we at least knew that the 10_ _th_ _was alive, yet these people had to just pray that he was alive, that he would save them'_.

As various people walk over to Tsuna and shake his hand, Haru smiles to herself. _'Now do you see Tsuna, all these people, you are their hope, you can't give up no matter what'_.

A few minutes pass before Ellen starts shouting. "Alright men, women, real enforcement officers must be on their way by now so clear out, I will get the mafia to the rendezvous point and I expect you all to be there".

As the men and women begin to flow out of the side streets of Istanbul, Ellen offers some spare enforcement officer's robes to the trio. "Put this on, we don't want anyone to identify you".

As the mafia begin to change clothes Tsuna speaks, "So then you will take us to the rendezvous Ellen".

"Yes, and can I say one more thing to you on behalf of the world sir".

Tsuna chuckles, "You don't have to call me sir or boss or anything like that, just call me Tsuna".

"Well then Tsuna, it's damn good that you're still alive".


	53. Routine

**THE NEW WORLD – ROUTINE**

 **3 Years Later, Rural Finland**

It's snowy in Finland, as it is the majority of the time. The cold weather does little to put off the hard-working men and women of the resistance camp though. The resistance camp is thinly disguised, it couldn't be detected by satellite due to the roofs of the tents being covered in snow and it was deemed highly unlikely that the Yakuza would come to this area and see it in person.

This is the resistance camp that is currently playing host to a group of four people that travel all across Europe together. Sawada Tsunayoshi, Gokudera Hayato, Miura Haru and the woman who goes by Ellen.

"Have you prepared the escape route" Gokudera asks a resistance member in perfect Finnish. In the years they have been on the run it has been of great relief to Tsuna and his followers that the Mafia had insisted on learning foreign languages, learning so many wasn't easy at first but was very worthwhile.

"Yes sir" the man replies as he shivers. Clearly he is not used to working in the cold conditions, "The escape route is ready for the three of you to depart".

Gokudera smiles at the man. Although it is obvious that he is not used to this kind of work, the storm guardian greatly appreciates anyone who is willing to overlook their past in order to work for the future.

"Good work, go and get something warm to drink before we move off" Gokudera says as he places his hand on the man's back.

"Thank you sir". With that he walked off, shivering all the way.

Tsuna is paying little attention to what is going on, amongst all the canvas there is a small opening in the tents where he can look at the sky. It appears that a beam of light is surrounding the boss as he stands in the only spot where sunlight can reach him.

The 10th isn't simply looking at the sky. He is in his standard dying will mode, flickering his flame gently between the plus and zero states as if he is about to do the zero-point breakthrough. Tsuna appears as if he is in a lucid state while he fiddles with his flame, maintaining a lower form so that it would be impossible for Honda to detect him.

One of the people observing Tsuna at this moment is a little girl of 6 years old. At first Tsuna struggled to accept that children were being brought into dangerous resistance camps but what else could be done. There is a valid argument that being nearby to the mafia boss is the safest place in the world for children, certainly safer than being surrounded by low level Yakuza and enforcement officers.

"Mumma" the little girl calls as she looks to one of the resistance members helping to pack away equipment.

The woman walks over to the little girl, presumably her daughter. "What is it Aada?".

Young Aada has a question for her mother, "What is the boss doing" she questions while pointing at Tsuna.

The woman smiles, "He's performing a low level version of the zero-point breakthrough, he is going between the plus and zero states".

"But why is he doing it?" Aada asks.

For the first time Aada's mother realises she doesn't understand this issue. It is said by many that he doesn't improve greatly while in this low-level state so it can't be for the sake of practice. So why does the 10th bother at all. A man approaches the duo to answer that question, that man is of course Tsuna himself.

Tsuna kneels down so that he can look Aada in the eye, "Would you like to know why I do this?".

Aada shows no signs of nervousness, she nods and yells "Yes please" at the top of her voice.

"It's a low-level technique as your mumma said so it is not useful for me to practice" Tsuna begins, "But one day a high-level version of this technique will save everyone from Honda".

"Is that god" the little girl asks, having no living memory prior to Honda taking over the world.

"He is the one you call god yes" Aada's mother answers.

"Right, god if that's what you want to call him, he holds us all hostage, makes us do things we don't want to do" Tsuna continues, "But this technique is how man is going to beat god, so I do it as a symbol of hope".

"A symbol of hope" Aada looks at Tsuna questioningly.

"It's like a good luck charm for everyone around me" Tsuna finishes.

Aada smiles clearly content with that answer as she hugs her mother. The mother mouths a thanks to Tsuna as the boss returns to his spot and begins practicing again.

Gokudera smiles as he watches what is happening, the days are long gone where Tsuna had no hope whatsoever, even if the current plan takes 100 years; things are progressing, that is hope for everyone.

A man runs up to Gokudera, "Mr Gokudera" he yells as he approaches.

Gokudera's expression changes, "Is it…".

"It's happening" the man declares.

 **Hours Later**

Tsuna is standing at the opening with Ellen, the formerly large camp now only a small circle of pitched tents with the same opening at the centre and another small tent nearby. Some equipment remained under the tents, a radio set which they used to try to make contact with any other potential resistance members and the medical tent pitched twenty yards away from the circle.

"Is everything ready" Tsuna asks as he looks away from the sky and to Ellen.

Ellen nods, "When you begin any evidence of the hideout having existed will disappear, 10 minutes from then everyone will be gone, you will have had your practice time and everyone should be safe".

"Thanks, I would begin but…" Tsuna pauses, "My mind isn't in the right place, I have to know that everything went OK".

"Don't worry" smiles Ellen, "I've known you all for three years now, I share your concerns".

Another hour passes before Gokudera emerges from the tent, carrying something in his arms as if it is the most precious thing in the world. To him it is the most previous thing in the world.

"It went perfectly 10th" the storm guardian says with uncharacteristically tearful eyes,

"Is this him" Tsuna asks with a wide smile.

"Yeah, this is my son" Gokudera responds.

"Congratulations Gokudera" Ellen smiles.

"Yes congratulations, I'm really happy for you" offers the 10th.

"Thank you, 10th, Ellen".

"Have you got a name for him yet" Tsuna asks.

"Well" begins Gokudera, "I've always called you Juudaime, so we sort of named him after you, he's called Juu".

"Juu, it's a lovely name, I'm honoured Gokudera" Tsuna replies.

The duo observe Juu for a moment before Tsuna becomes serious once again. "Now then, get ready to take him away from here, is Haru ready to go?".

"She's in the back of a van being driven away as we speak" responds Gokudera. After Tsuna and Ellen give him an odd look he elaborates, "It's the comfiest transport I could find, there's a bed in it".

"Very well, off you go, don't want to keep your son in danger for too long" the boss orders.

Gokudera acknowledges the order before getting in the penultimate snow covered vehicle. Gokudera holds his child as he gets into the passenger seat. In the distance he observes Tsuna ascend through his forms until he begins using the ultimate dying will flame.

"Do you feel that Juu, the warmth of that flame, the hope" Gokudera rhetorically asks his baby, "You can never mistake that feeling, that is Vongola 10th".

"CLEAR OUT NOW" Ellen yells, prompting the radio operators to pack the kit into the back of the one remaining car.

Tsuna ignores all distractions as the tents and electronics around him is packed away. The 10th looks into the sky while practicing the zero-point breakthrough. He attempts to widen the x-axis.

 **The Yakuza HQ, Japan**

Honda is sat in his comfiest chair, feasting on the food his slaves have brought to him as he chuckles to himself, it is a fine day in Japan. The only person with him is Kara, his most loyal servant who stood by him even when she could have run like Yaru and Sakura.

"None of them are poisoned today" the old man notes, referring to the dishes before him "They are starting to learn".

"Of course" Kara comments, "If god stands before you, you have to acknowledge him, regardless of your personal beliefs.".

Honda claps and laughs at the same time, as if he is a kid at a circus. "You always know the right things to say".

Honda narrows his eyes, "Still for someone who knows that I am not an actual deity it is strange that you chose to address me as god or master".

"You will always be my god" Kara blandly answers.

Honda laughs more, "That's very good, remember that or your punishment will be next".

"Punishment, who can be bothered with something like that" Kara mutters under her breath.

Honda's head snaps around suddenly. Looking to the west he sighs, "It's been nearly a month yet there he is again".

Disregarding the presence of a window, Honda flies out straight through the glass and towards Finland, aiming as he has done so many times before, to kill Sawada Tsunayoshi.

 **Rural Finland**

Tsuna continues to practice the breakthrough as he attempts to widen the x-axis on one of Gokudera's old graphs. Of course widening the x-axis is not a good technical term as Gokudera repeatedly insists but it is easy to understand and memorable to Tsuna and Ellen who are less scientifically inclined.

Tsuna can feel Honda approaching, the former sense the latter to be over Siberia as he is practicing. The feeling of the approaching Yakuza isn't what intrigues Tsuna most though, that is the feeling of an elemental flame.

' _This is… it's the sun… I can feel it'_ Tsuna realises, _'A breakthrough, I'm close'_.

A minute passes and Tsuna can feel that Honda is approaching North East Europe, normally at this point Tsuna would stop and insist that they leave.

' _I can sense you are getting closer Honda, but I can't give up this close to a breakthrough, I won't give up'_.

Ellen looks at her watch, she too has become used to timing these things and has become a very good judge of when Honda is going to arrive. She is becoming nervous, Tsuna is taking far longer than usual.

Tsuna senses Honda reach Scandinavia and Ellen explains her alarm to the boss. "Tsuna we have to go NOW".

Tsuna still doesn't react.

"TSUNA".

Suddenly a hollow circle of sky flames appears around Tsuna's joined hands. These flames are an orange colour as Tsuna's flames always have been. What is different is that another colour of flame appears to fill the centre of the hollow circle. Yellow.

Sun flames form in the centre of the sky flame.

"This is…" Ellen begins, not believing that she is finally seeing a breakthrough.

Tsuna immediately stops and drops his ultimate dying will form. "Come on let's go" he says with a sense of urgency.

Tsuna and Ellen run and get into the last car which quickly drives away.

A few minutes later Honda arrives, he just missed him.

"He was here but he got away again" Honda decides, "You will never get anywhere Sawada Tsunayoshi, you will die of old age before you defeat me".

"And then the world will die with you".

 **Tsuna and Ellen's Car**

"What do you mean they didn't get away" Ellen speaks into her radio with despair.

Tsuna is shattered, his breath heavy as he leans against the car window, "Ellen, what, what are you saying".

"I'm sorry boss, some of our scouts didn't arrive back at camp until after we left, Honda killed them".

"How, what went wrong" Tsuna asks, leaning away from the window and right up to Ellen.

"I don't know; they must not have received the evacuation signal" responds the former soldier.

"Dammit" Tsuna curses as he holds his head in his hands, "Everywhere we go, more people die".

"Sir, I have become an expert in organising local resistances, judging people, who is loyal to the old world and who is loyal to the new world" begins Ellen, "When things go wrong we feel responsible; but we are fighting for what we believe in and they are doing the same".

"They knew what they were getting into and will have been honoured to die for you".

"Do you know what scares me most of all?" Tsuna sighs, "I can't remember their faces".

Ellen starts, never thinking of this issue before.

"Everyone who dies trying to help me, I should be able to place a name and face to all of them but I can't. There are so many that after a while they have just started to blend into one".

"Hey" Ellen shows a small smile as she shakes Tsuna by the shoulder, "If I can keep going like this then you can as well, you are their leader, their beacon of hope so don't give up now".

"You're right of course" replies the 10th, "You've been good to us these last few years, I'm very grateful to you and I know that Gokudera and Haru are too. They may not have been able to have a child if it weren't for you taking on so much".

"Are you kidding me" Ellen laughs, "You don't need to be grateful to me, you are the world famous Sawada Tsunayoshi, everyone who lives owes you their gratitude. They will so even more someday because you are the hero who will save us, right?".

"Yeah" smiles Tsuna, raising his head, eyes filled with determination, "You're damn right I am".

Such is the routine of Tsuna and his group. They travel to a new town. Ellen rounds up trustworthy people to join the resistance. They set up a temporary camp and try to contact others. They pack the camp away and Tsuna practices for ten minutes. When Honda approaches they run and begin the process all over again.

It is this painful process full of loss and hurt that has become the groups routine. They have worked towards performing this routine every day for the last three years. Today is the first breakthrough.


	54. Contact

**THE NEW WORLD – CONTACT**

 **A Finnish Town**

The sun has long since set on the nation of Finland as the last car returns to the isolated town. This last car contains Sawada Tsunayoshi and his comrade Ellen. The duo arrives to not much fanfare, most people are congratulating Haru and Gokudera on their new child. Ellen knows however, that now is not the time to be sentimental, now is the time for action. Honda could very well send Yakuza to this town to search.

"Alright everyone, you know the drill by now" she yells, "You are all part of a camping society, you have been on a long standing and well organised trip".

Ellen recites the story to the group, something she has done everywhere she has been for the last three years. Each camp gets its own unique alibi should the Yakuza come asking questions. Since her pregnancy made it such that Haru couldn't do much physical work, the storm policewoman has been helping Ellen to come up with these stories. This greatly eases the pressure on Tsuna and Gokudera.

"Olavi has the details if anyone needs the recited once more, please memories as much as you can, you don't know any of our names other than the famous Sawada Tsunayoshi, who you all hate, you don't know what the rest of us look like".

Tsuna waits until Ellen finishes her speech before he motions to address all those who had have made it back from the camp.

"Everyone, we don't have much time so I will say a few quick words" Tsuna begins, "I have spent more time with you than most groups because of Haru's pregnancy".

"I want to thank you for doing so much for us, from now on you rest easy and wait for us to defeat the Yakuza, I promise it will happen one day".

"I want to thank you on behalf of Gokudera, on behalf of Haru and on behalf of little Juu for providing medical expertise that we don't have in our ranks so that Juu could be born safely".

"And lastly I want to thank you on behalf of all four… all five of us, we won't forget the sacrifices you have made in this battle against the Yakuza".

With that Ellen raises her hand to the rebels. A signal for them to disperse. They head their separate ways, discussing different topics relating to camping in keeping with their alibi.

Tsuna's group of five climb into the car which a family had generously provided them and Ellen drives away. Their destination this time is to the east of Europe and some way into Asia. Honda came too close last time and he may soon move to Europe so that he has a better chance of catching them, something the mafia cannot afford.

 **Inside The Car**

"Congratulations to you both, Gokudera and Haru" Ellen says. This is the first time she has seen the new mother, it's only natural for her to give her congratulations to the woman she has been friends with for 3 years now.

"Thank you very much" Haru replies with a smile.

"I too haven't had the chance to speak to you yet, congratulations Haru" Tsuna adds.

"Thank you boss" Haru says.

During the previous three years Haru and Gokudera had become close again. Haru's personality underwent a slow but steady change as she became more and more similar to how she was as a teenager. Now she openly acknowledges that Tsuna is the boss of the mafia and is happy to acknowledge that the family never abandoned Kyoko and herself.

"Haru, make sure you let us know if you feel ill or you are struggling physically, we will find a doctor of some sort" Gokudera demands as he holds his child and it's mother tightly.

Haru laughs, "Don't worry so much Hayato, my training and fitness levels mean that I am in much better health than most women after giving birth, I will be fine".

"OK" Gokudera reluctantly accepts that Haru will be OK.

Haru sighs and a long period of silence ensues as Ellen drives the group eastwards.

"So Tsuna" the storm policewoman breaks the silence, "Did you get anything out of your training this time".

Tsuna springs to life as if he has been hit by lightning. "That's right I almost forgot to tell you".

"I made a breakthrough".

"Seriously" Gokudera yells as he leans forward.

Juu begins crying after his father suddenly yells.

"You have a child now Gokudera, don't just start yelling when he's sleeping" Ellen huffs. Now they will have an annoying crying noise in the car with them.

"I'm sorry" the storm guardian whispers with a slightly red face.

Lowering his voice Gokudera continues, "What happened then, what was your breakthrough like".

"The sky flame I usually had changed into a hollow circle and I could feel the presence of the sun flame" the 10th begins, "The hollowed out circle became filled with the sun flame and I could feel power radiating from it".

"I don't really understand how it happened or how it works but…" Tsuna hesitates.

"But…" Haru urges him on.

The boss smiles as he turns to his two fellow fighters, "The sun element has increased in strength through all of my flames".

"That's fantastic" Haru claims as she smiles widely.

"You're getting somewhere 10th, all those people who believed in you, they didn't have faith for nothing" Gokudera praises his boss.

"Yeah" Haru nods, "We can do it, we can beat them".

"Damn right we can" Ellen joins in as she continues the drive, further east and into Asia.

 **A Hideout in the Himalayas**

The hideout is well camouflaged, high up in the mountains. The remote location makes living difficult but it is likely to never be discovered by the Yakuza. Strategically attacking your opponent while hiding yourself is the act of an assassin, as such it is the Varia who have set up this base.

Fires burn inside the well-established walls, warming the Varia and the resistance members who have left their homes to join them. The walls are well made, nothing as permanent as a house made in a developed country but certainly the structure has enough strength to survive the weather.

A ten-year-old boy runs up to Xanxus. The kid is short and has dark hair, the look on his face though is of innocence. The Varia leader was not an innocent child when he was young and since he had forgiven his father for his upbringing, he wanted to protect as many innocent children as possible.

"Mr Xanxus" the youngster whispers.

"What is it kid" Xanxus asks as he looks away from the reports in front of him and to the child.

"It's not much" the boy says as he places some scrap metal on the table, "I found all the metal I could, maybe you can make a few extra bullets out of them".

Since coming to the hideout the kids had very little to keep them entertained, Squalo had suggested they head outside and search for resources. The kids have been bringing resources to Xanxus for a couple of years now but the precious materials are only decreasing in quantity with each delivery.

Belphegor is sat beside Xanxus, _'So few'_ he thinks to himself while he contemplates how Xanxus will react.

"Thanks kid, I know it doesn't seem like much but this could save lives" the assassin does his best to praise the child, "Good job".

This brings a huge smile to the youngster's face, "Thank you Mr Xanxus" he replies enthusiastically before running off.

"You've changed" Squalo comments, "You used to be the sort of man who would never talk to kids like that".

"I haven't changed" the leader retorts, "You just can't win a guerrilla war without high morale, you have to play the game Squalo".

"Win the war" Belphegor mutters, "Even though I'm a genius, what are the chances of that?".

"Honda could never sense us, most of the Yakuza members could never see through the illusion barrier I have put around this place so we should be fine in the long run" Mammon concludes.

As his speech indicates, Mammon has placed four illusion barriers around the base. Unless someone can see through his illusions they could never see that the base is there. Very few people in the world are capable of seeing through Mammon's illusions.

Belphegor shakes his head, "But it will all be for nothing if Sawada isn't around to defeat Honda".

"Boss" Lussuria says under his breath, thinking about how Tsuna earnt the respect of the Varia before his battle against Bana. Nobody in Vongola history had accepted and been accepted by the Varia to the same degree as Tsuna.

He continues, "Lord Xanxus, do you think the boss is still alive".

"Of course he is" Squalo shouts as he slams his fist into the table. "What do you think we are still fighting for".

The blade user keeps on shouting, "After all that training we did with him, someone who was able to master the flame of rage and flame of serenity, who was able to make us call him boss… of course he wouldn't die".

"Squalo is right" Xanxus declares, "Even if it is foolish and we can't explain it, we have to believe that Sawada is still alive, that's all there is left to fight for".

The Varia leader rises from his chair and addresses the entire room, "All of you trash listen up".

"I don't want to hear about a single one of you slacking off because the boss is out there alive".

"And if there is one thing I can guarantee about Sawada Tsunayoshi, it's that he is working himself to death fighting for you, understand".

"YES SIR" is the response.

 **A few weeks later, A Pakistani Resistance Camp**

It is night time in Pakistan and the sky is crystal clear. The stars and the moon provide natural lighting such that the erected tents require no lanterns. You could see the environment as clearly as if it were day. Even as the sun has descended beneath the horizon it's warmth lingers in the air as the sounds of nature provide a wonderful soundtrack for Tsuna to relax to.

"10th Haru and I have been thinking about something" Gokudera brings up as he approaches Tsuna with his family.

"You have something to talk about?" Tsuna asks with a smile on his face.

"It's about Juu" Haru explains.

"We would like you to be his godfather" Gokudera says as he bows his head.

"Me" Tsuna starts, "But I don't know anything about being a godfather".

"I wouldn't worry about that boss" Ellen comments, drawing herself away from her radio momentarily, "Gokudera doesn't seem to know anything about being a father".

"That's enough out of you" Gokudera shouts as he points his finger at Ellen.

Tsuna chuckles to himself, _'This is just like old times, I missed when everything was a simple as this'_.

"Anyway, hopefully you won't be required to do anything with this title but knowing this war" Gokudera pauses, "Too many people have died already, you never know what will happen".

"I understand" Tsuna says as he places a hand on the outside shoulders of the storm duo, "I'm honoured, thank you both of you. I promise I will do my best for him, for all of you regardless of what happens".

"We should be the honoured ones" Haru comments, "How many people can say that humanities hope is their child's godfather".

Tsuna shakes his head, as every modest about this moniker of humanities hope.

"Anyway, is everything set for me to attempt the breakthrough Ellen" Tsuna asks as he looks to the former soldier.

Ellen looks at the few remaining resistance members who all return a nod to her. "Yes, go for it sir".

"Here I go then". Tsuna begins to walk over to the opening in the tents, raising his head to look at the clear night sky as he does so.

"Gokudera, I've never asked, why does the boss like to look at the sky when he does this" Ellen asks.

"I'm sure you have heard him talk about flame elements. The sun element, he mentioned that before right. Haru and I are both of the storm element. The leader of the guardians is always of the sky element because the sky encompasses all of us, sun, thunder, storm, rain, mist and cloud."

"So when Tsuna looks at the sky" he continues, "It's like we're all connected because we all stare into that same sky and represent part of that same sky each and every day".

"I see" replies Ellen. _'What a beautiful bond the mafia share'_.

"I want to ask you a question now, something I've been wondering about for a very long time" the storm guardian says.

"What's that".

"We have been in the Vongola linguistics program which is why we speak nearly every language, why are you able to do the same".

Ellen flinches momentarily, "When I was a soldier I spent some time as a prisoner of war, the enemy thought they could turn me against my country so they went about giving me basic training. That included language".

"What enemy would have that capability" Haru asks as if she doesn't believe what Ellen is saying.

"The Yakuza…".

The trio are so silent that the wind can be heard sweeping the fields. Ellen herself had been captured by the Yakuza, no wonder she is so prepared to fight them.

"Everyone get ready" Ellen yells, ending the silence.

"Ma'am wait" the radio operator shouts.

"TSUNA STOP" Ellen yells.

The Vongola boss looks away from the sky and re-joins Gokudera and Haru under the cover of the tarpaulin. It is not unusual for Tsuna to be stopped in these situations, many times in the past they have remembered one more last minute thing they need to do or found a way to buy him a few extra seconds if he waits.

"What's the matter" Ellen asks, "Have you got something".

The operator shakes his head, "I haven't actually got anything but there is this weak interference pattern".

"No way…" Ellen mutters after she spends a few moments listening to the radio. "What frequency is this being sent on".

"It's the one that I have been told was specified in the plan" the man replies, "I'm certain of that ma'am".

Tsuna senses that the conversation is becoming serious and walks over. "Ellen, what's going on" he asks.

"I think other resistance members are trying to contact us" Ellen declares.

Tsuna takes a deep breath, "OK, everyone holds your places, the others know not to panic if we don't arrive back for a few days".

The few resistance members that remain all have families that went on ahead of them. It is possible that those families will panic and conclude that the mafia had been found by Honda but this communication is much more important than a few days of familial concern.

"We need to investigate this further" notes Gokudera.

"Yes" Ellen agrees, "Yes we do".


	55. Password

**THE NEW WORLD – PASSWORD**

 **The Pakistan Resistance Camp**

Members of the resistance are trying to contact them. Though the interference is too strong to facilitate speech between them this is a huge step forward. The greatest problem is that this signal could be coming from anywhere, the only reason that such a weak broadcast can be detected in the first place is due to the high level equipment the group is using.

"How are we going to do this, how are we going to establish a better connection" Tsuna asks.

Ellen was heavily involved with communication when she was in the military while both Gokudera and Haru are scientifically minded individuals. This means that Tsuna has the least amount of specialist knowledge on the subject at hand.

"We could all four of us head a different way, measure the signal strength and report back with who has the strongest signal" Haru suggests.

For Haru to be so quick in returning to her physically demanding schedule impresses Tsuna greatly. He decides that Bana must have trained his followers expertly and that he is truly blessed that his group are part of the Vongola family.

"That would take too long, for all we know they might have moved by then" Ellen shakes her head, "Besides I wouldn't be much help, the three of you can move much faster than I can".

Haru pats Ellen on the back, "Hey don't sell yourself short, I think you're great".

Ellen smiles lightly as looks into Haru's eyes, "Thank you for the compliment, I'm not looking down on myself, I'm just not superhuman like you guys".

"The mountains" Gokudera says as he holds his head in the palm of his hand.

"What was that Gokudera" Tsuna prompts, not hearing his right-hand-man clearly while his mouth was obscured.

"If one of us were to go to the highest point on a nearby mountain we would have the less interference due to the refraction of the waves".

Ellen holds her chin with her hand, "I see, so it would only require one of us to go".

The storm guardian turns to his boss, "10th, allow me to do this, you would be detected in the worst case scenario while I can remain hidden".

Tsuna closes his eyes as he sighs, "You are right of course".

"I would also like to volunteer boss" Ellen declares.

"No" the white haired guardian adds, "It's like you said earlier, I can move a lot faster than you".

"I…" Haru begins.

"You can't come, you have to stay here and look after Juu OK"

Haru smiles, "OK but you make sure you come back, you are his father after all".

"I know, I can move quickly and subtly".

"Moving about subtly is hardly your specialty" sweatdrops the 10th.

Gokudera feigns offence, "There's no need to be so rude 10th".

Ellen adopts a serious tone as she briefs the second-in-command, "Listen, you need to be very careful not to be spotted by any patrols, are you sure you've got this Gokudera".

If Gokudera were to be spotted by any patrols, there is a good chance they would report his presence to Honda. If Honda were to make the connection between the presences of Gokudera and Tsuna then that would be catastrophic going forward should the storm guardian ever be spotted again.

"I've got this" the storm guardian firmly claims.

Ellen picks up best radio she has and hands it to the mafioso, "No names, no locations and you aren't allowed to give any passcodes on your end".

"You are just there to see if they are willing to provide a passcode and location, if they do then you come back and the five of us will all go together" she finishes.

Haru finds a potential problem, "What if it is a trap".

"It shouldn't be a problem, between yourself and Gokudera we should be able fend off any attackers from any traps" Ellen concludes, "They are expecting to trap low-level resistance members with this sort of thing, not Sawada Tsunayoshi himself".

"OK, I'm going".

"Good luck" Haru says as she uses her son's hand to wave to Gokudera.

The latter smiles, "Don't need it".

 **Several Hours Later**

Gokudera has been moving from mountain to mountain, attempting to use his radio but getting no signal. It would be demoralising for most people but the storm guardian has a firm morale bred by years of work in the resistance.

The sun rises on the horizon; the night has passed but Gokudera refuses to give up. He tells himself that he will find this signal, no matter what. No matter if it is a trap or even if it is just some kids messing around with a radio he has to find it. If nothing else for his own peace of mind.

At last on one mountain top, he finally gets a clear signal.

Gokudera doesn't hesitate, immediately attempting contact, "Passcode and location".

The engineer is greeted with radio silence, whoever is on the other end is choosing not to reply.

' _Perhaps they are getting their superior officer, they've probably never been contacted before'._

"Passcode and location" he repeats.

"Confirm identity".

It happened, someone replied. The replier is definitely looking for someone on this frequency too, it can only be a trap or fellow resistance members.

"No identities on radio" regardless of his emotions Gokudera sticks to Ellen's procedure, "Passcode and location".

A period of radio silence is observed once again. Presumably once more the radio operator is speaking to his commanding officer.

"Please" Gokudera pleads, "Passcode and location".

Again the radio is silent.

' _Dammit, come on… please'_ the new father prays that he gets a response.

"Roger that" the operator replies, "Passcode, crib means frozen".

The operator provided the correct passcode then proceeds to offer Gokudera some meeting co-ordinates.

"Roger".

Gokudera stops using the radio. It is still possible that this is a trap and that the Yakuza have acquired the passcode somehow but it is unlikely.

The storm guardian maintains his professionalism for a moment only before he punches the air above him.

Laughing he yells into the sky, "Other members, organised members, this is great".

"I've got to go and tell the 10th".

 **The Pakistan Resistance Camp**

Night has fallen once again. The stars are out just as brightly as the night before as Tsuna looks up into the sky. Gokudera hasn't returned and it was agreed long ago that in the event any of the four should separate from the others that they would maintain regular contact. No contact has been received from Gokudera.

"Sorry I'm late" the storm guardian says, causing the drowsy resistance members to jump.

"Don't ever do that again" Haru angrily thumps Gokudera's chest, "You had me worried sick".

"Sorry Haru, I promise I won't do it again".

Ellen is less concerned about Gokudera and more concerned about the outcome, "So did you get anything?".

"I did" he answers as he places a map down on the communications table. "I got these co-ordinates".

"And…" Gokudera slowly begins with a smile creeping onto his face.

"And…" Tsuna follows suit.

"I got given a passcode".

Tsuna and Haru smile but Ellen rationally refuses to become too happy just with that. "What did they use" she asks.

"Crib means frozen" Gokudera replies, "It is one of the ones that Dino set aside all those years ago. So unless they caught one our guys and they gave out under torture, this is genuine, we've found a core resistance group".

"Amazing" Tsuna shouts, "This is truly amazing, there are others out there fighting".

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work" Haru loudly praises the few remaining resistance members.

Ellen folds the map away and quickly tucks it into her pocket. "Everyone, the drill will be different from the one we had planned, please put your equipment away quickly but calmly".

"When you go home please apologise on our behalf to your families, we've surely made them worry by keeping a few of you behind".

"And remember, you have never seen any of this, you don't know any co-ordinates, you have no idea about passcodes or resistance members".

"But there is one thing you must remember, not for us but for yourselves, we are making progress".

The resistance members all give each other a brief congratulation. Coming from the same town means these guys are likely to know each other. Sharing a culture makes it easier for them to get along with each other than with the mafia, so it is only natural they have a quick moment of celebration together.

"Let's go straight away guys, we don't want to leave them waiting any longer than we have to" Tsuna tells his group of five.

"Haru, will Juu be alright through all of these mountains" Tsuna asks. Of course as the kid's godfather it is his job to worry about these sort of things now.

"Are you kidding" Haru asks with a smile, "This kid was born to do all this sitting in my arms stuff".

The 10th laughs, "Good, then let's get going".

"After all, the resistance is just beginning".


	56. The Revival

**THE NEW WORLD – THE REVIVAL**

 **Pakistan, The Mountains**

It is evening in this part of Asia and the sun is setting. The great peaks and troughs of the mountains are reflected in the craggy edged shadow as it progresses along the surrounding slopes.

The group of five have been waiting here for many hours, there is nothing. There is no resistance base, there is nobody here to meet them. The sun falling over the horizon, the fading light represents their fading hope.

Ellen has spent the last few minutes scanning the surroundings through her binoculars, she approaches Tsuna with a solemn look on her face.

"I'm sorry sir, there's nothing on the horizon" she offers.

Gokudera looks towards Haru. "I was so sure, you know, I just really believed that someone was going to meet us here".

"It must have been an old trap, automated responses, a recording something" Ellen suggests.

"It can't have been" Gokudera retorts, "I was so sure that I was talking to a real person".

"It can only have been an old trap" Ellen explains, "Any resistance members would be only too happy to receive us and there is no way they wouldn't even have a description of Sawada Tsunayoshi".

"Perhaps they are a group without contact to the outside world" Gokudera suggests as he grasps at straws.

Everyone shakes their heads at the suggestion though. There is no way a group like that would have the passcode and there is no way the resistance members wouldn't come here to pick them up, this can only have been a trap.

"Hayato" Haru says as she grabs Gokudera's hand, "Don't beat yourself up about this, it could have happened to anybody, anyone could make the same mistake".

The storm guardian sighs, "yeah".

Gokudera looks towards Tsuna. The boss isn't looking around at the horizon, he's not searching for any places a trap could be hidden. The boss is looking into the sky that connects all Vongola, just as he always does.

Being Tsuna's closest friend means that Gokudera can sense his despair. This had been a rare ray of light in a sea of darkness that has been consuming the world. There was a real possibility that other Vongola would be out there fighting, that they had survived.

The white haired man touches his friend's shoulder, "Come on 10th, we've got to go, if we stay any longer an enforcement squad may find us".

The group begins to walk away but the leader doesn't move. Seeing this they all turn around.

"What are you doing 10th".

Unexpectedly Tsuna lights a dying will flame on his right hand. He raises the hand into the air and begins to perform the zero-point breakthrough with that hand.

"Tsuna" Haru shouts, "You can't do that, you will be seen".

"My hyper intuition is guiding me" Tsuna replies, "We're not going anywhere".

"You can't be serious" Ellen shouts, "We are all in danger if you do that boss".

"Tsuna, I know that breakthrough, that's the serenity edition that you created" Haru recalls, "It creates a sea of flames which act as a shield, if you use that there is no way you won't be seen".

Tsuna continues to move between the plus and zero states, unperturbed by his followers attempts to discourage him.

"Let him do it" Gokudera suggests.

"Hayato…" Haru turns to Juu's father.

"I believe in the boss and his hyper intuition" he continues, "So let him do it".

Haru's face still has reluctance written all over it and Ellen refuses to accept intangible belief as justification for any actions made in war.

Tsuna moves from the plus state to the state slowly, this time he is going to go into the minus, the flames will manifest themselves.

Ellen steps forward to stop her boss, but she is stopped when hears a voice.

"Please stop" a male voice calls from behind Tsuna.

The 10th Vongola boss immediately stops and turns to the source of the sound, is it friend or foe he wonders.

He lays eyes on the caller for the first time and is shocked at what he sees. He knows this man.

"It's me, boss is that… is that really you… is this really real" the man asks.

This man is someone that Gokudera has fought in the past. Back then both he and the storm guardian were far weaker than they are now, they have come a long way both physically and mentally since then.

This man is the user of the parabolas, the Varia's thunder officer, Levi.

"My friend, Levi, it really is me" the boss smiles at his subordinate.

"I can't believe it" the thunder officer smiles before shaking his head firmly, "No, I have to be sure, give me the passcode, one more time".

"Crib means frozen, it refers to the 9th freezing Xanxus using the zero-point breakthrough" Tsuna explains.

"Back then I destroyed your parabolas" Gokudera furthers the explanation, "It really is us Levi".

Levi's entire body relaxes as if he has not relaxed in many years. "Boss, thank god it's you, I can't believe it even now, you really are alive".

The electricity user keeps going, "This is hope, hope in the purest form. This is enough to make anyone believe that we really can win this war".

"Hold on to that hope Levi, cling to it like it's the only thing left in the world" the 10th requests.

"I will boss; I won't let go of that hope no matter what".

Tsuna nods, content with this reply, "Take us to your HQ, let's see how you are getting on".

Levi's body tenses up again as he remembers he still has a job to do.

"Yes sir". Levi salutes. "Follow me, I will take you there".

 **The Varia Himalayas HQ**

Xanxus and Squalo wait impatiently at a table by the door. Xanxus repeatedly taps the bottom of his gun on the metallic surface of the table. A repeating three taps, the taps are repeated for nearly an hour.

"VOI, cut it out, you're driving me mad boss" Squalo shouts at his friend as he rises to his feet.

"Well go and wait somewhere else trashy shark" Xanxus replies as he also gets to his feet by pressing on the table.

The door to the outside world flies open, breaking up the argument. A silhouette steps inside, a tall man with a muscular build. Levi is back.

"Levi" Xanxus begins, "Have you got something, was anybody there".

The thunder officer laughs deeply, "Not just somebody, the most important person in the world, that's who I found out there".

"Don't just leave us in suspense, who is it" Lussuria asks.

"Even a genius like myself is eager to know" Belphegor adds.

Levi stands out of the way to reveal the man stood behind him. Sawada Tsunayoshi enters to a great cheer from the resistance members, to the great relief of the Varia.

"You're all OK" Tsuna says, a smile plastered on his face, "Xanxus, it really is you".

"Boss". Xanxus cannot hold himself back, he embraces his friend tightly and pats him on the back a few times. "It's been too long boss".

The rain officer smiles, his emotions written on his face for all to see. Squalo turns to the resistance members.

"VOI, I told you lot that Sawada Tsunayoshi would be here, get in order".

Tsuna pays no attention to the resistance members as they shuffle their feet. They may have been waiting a long time for his arrival but it has also been a long time since the boss spoke to his assassination squad, the Varia. He moves between them and greets each one of them individually.

After speaking to the Varia members Tsuna returns to Xanxus.

"What are you waiting for" the Varia leader says as he tips his head towards the assembled men and women, "They have been waiting years for you to speak to them".

The 10th Vongola boss turns the resistance fighters to make a speech.

"Everyone I…" he stops upon seeing them.

Each and every gathered member of the resistance is saluting him. There are no exceptions, even the children are stood perfectly still as they demonstrate their respect for the world's hope. A large proportion have tears in their eyes, the eyes that have been waiting for years to rest on the image of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Seeing the group before him Tsuna also becomes emotional. The leader of the 10th generation lowers his head, holding it with a palm across his eyes.

' _Everyone, all sorts of people, all around the world, they are all working so hard'_ he realises, _'They must have all been wishing for a day like this when they would see me arrive, it's too much weight on my shoulders'_.

Seeing his friend get so emotional caused Gokudera to smile. In his mind Sawada Tsunayoshi should never forget his importance, the importance all these people are placing on the 10th is the importance the storm guardian has placed on him since day one.

"Thank you for all your hard work" Tsuna yells with a cracking voice, "All of you are… you are…".

"You are all the true heroes of humanity".

 **A Meeting Room, the Himalayas HQ**

This small room has been set aside for meetings that must not be overheard by the Varia. It is very dull with no unique traits. The only thing in the room is one small table and a couple of metallic chairs.

Xanxus and Tsuna take the chairs while their remaining comrades stand around the table, rubbing shoulders as they cram themselves into the tight space.

"So boss, why don't you make it clear to us what you have been doing for so long" Xanxus asks.

"Do you have a plan to beat Honda". Evidently not even the 'genius' Belphegor has done that.

"Before it wasn't very hopeful but things are looking up" replies the chestnut haired Sawada, "I have been on the run with Gokudera, Haru and my resistance manager Ellen".

"Ellen, this is the Varia, that's Xanxus, Squalo, Mammon, Belphegor, you've met Levi and that last one is Lussuria".

"I have heard about all of you in great detail" Ellen comments, "It's an honour to finally meet you".

"Thank you for taking care of our boss for so long" Mammon replies.

"So we were jumping from place to place, hiding as Ellen went into town and recruited for a local resistance.

"Each time they created a hideout, every time for a short while I would go into my ultimate mode and practice on improving my zero-point breakthrough" explains the boss.

"I discovered a unique aspect to the zero-point breakthrough some time ago" recalls Gokudera. Thinking back to the days before the battle for Italy, "The ability the 10th has is to widen the x-axis, he's been practicing that each time".

"Unfortunately every time I go into my ultimate form Honda detects me, so I have about ten minutes to train before we have to run" Tsuna finishes.

"The training has been rather slow" remarks Haru.

Lussuria smiles at his boss, "You made a breakthrough in the sun element of the flame didn't you".

Tsuna returns the smile as he brings out a dying will flame, "Exactly, I expect that only Lussuria and Xanxus will sense it".

"Still this flame is slightly biased towards the sun element and that is a weakness. So I will fight Honda when I have strengthened every element if that is possible".

"This presents a new problem" Ellen sighs.

"What's that" Squalo calmly asks.

"This is a permanent setup in a strong location, if the boss is going to train we can't stop here".

Xanxus puts his feet up on the table, "In that case we need to have a long hard think about where to go from here".

 **South America, The Millefiore Hideout**

It is humid as always in the hideout. Ganma runs into the flimsy shelter as the rain hammers down. He runs in to find Yuni standing a yard behind Yamamoto. The Arcobaleno leader watchers the Millefiore leader as he sits in a meditative position before the sword of Excalibur.

Ganma sighs, "I can't believe he is still doing that after so long".

Yuni shakes her head in disbelief, "He is just, staring, staring at Excalibur".

Yamamoto leaps back between the two in an aggressive motion, his movement so fast that the duo fail to see him coming.

"Careful" he yells, "Something is happening".

"What is going on" Ganma questions as he spots what Yamamoto is talking about.

Around the sword of Excalibur gathers smoke. The amount of smoke increases, it thickens further and further causing the trio to lose sight of the great sword.

The thick smoke is then accompanied by an ear piercing scream. The trio hold their ears as if to prevent themselves losing their sight altogether. A human scream shouldn't be loud enough to frighten them. This threesome had all been witnesses to a great naval battle and had been fine. Who could possible cream so loud.

"What is this enormous power I feel coming from the sword" Yuni asks.

"Could the sword actually be alive" Ganma questions.

Yamamoto shakes his head, "It would have died when it faced Clarent".

The smoke slowly begins to clear. Yamamoto slowly steps forward as the space before him increases in visibility. He can faintly make out an outline in the smoke, a human outline. This person must be the one who screamed.

Frustrated about his inability to see Yamamoto swings his hand to the side as if it were a sword. The air currents from his sudden movement clear the smoke in an instant, blowing it away as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

A white haired man is standing where the sword once stood, that man is the former Millefiore boss.

That man is Byakuran.

"After all these years of staring at the sword, I couldn't help but think to myself that it looked dead" smiles Byakuran, "So I tried my luck and look what happened, a dead body finally showed up so I was able to use it to facilitate my rebirth".

Yamamoto gawks at Byakuran. For years the pair have been looking for a suitable dead body into which the former Millefiore boss could be reborn. Never did the swordsman imagine that dead body would be his own shattered sword.

"Observe" Byakuran instructs his student as his body undergoes a metamorphosis. His new form is a sword; he transforms into the sword of Excalibur.

"I will be your sword, Yamamoto".

The Vongola rain guardian behold the sword before him. He takes a deep breath and firmly grabs a hold of the hilt. This causes an enormous power to surge through him as blue rain flames and orange sky flames dance around his body.

Byakuran quickly turns back into his human form and leaps away from his friend. "Sorry, that might take a little while to get used to… I've never been a sword before".

"Yeah" Yamamoto curves his lips, "But what's most important is that you are back with us and the sword is stronger than ever".

"Perhaps" Yuni begins, drawing everyone's eyes.

"Perhaps that technique I showed you before you died was created for this very purpose, perhaps destiny has linked the Millefiore family to Excalibur".

"I think you're wrong" Ganma retorts, "I think that destiny has linked Byakuran with Yamamoto. And I think it has linked the Millefiore family to the death of the Yakuza".


	57. A Permanent Solution

**THE NEW WORLD – A PERMANENT SOLUTION**

 **The Himalayas Hideout**

The Himalayas continue to exhibit their mixed weather as the conversation between the Varia officers and Tsuna's comrades continues. They struggle to hear each other as the hideout is bombarded with wind, sleet and snow. The weather is not enough to put off these men and women though.

A great variety of subject's come up, the main concern is how to go forward through the war. This sort of strategic meeting has always bored Tsuna in the past, the Vongola boss has always considered himself more of a fighter than a strategist. Despite his reservations, Tsuna enjoys the conversation more than he ever expected he would, being reunited with his old friends brings great joy to the boss' heart.

Gokudera summarises the information the Varia have provided. "So as things stand, the worse scenario is that we go back on the run and continue what have been doing all this time".

"That may be so" Ellen mumbles, "But there has to be a better way than this".

The 10th speaks his mind, "I want to establish this as a long standing base for the resistance, before I leave we have to accomplish that much at the very least".

Discussing the possibility of leaving before accomplishing anything brings mixed emotions to Tsuna. Certainly it is true that he will not be able to remain here and train if this is to become a permanent base. It is also true that the resistance effort would benefit greatly going forward if there were to be a permanent base established. Still going three years without seeing three years without seeing old friends and then being immediately forced to leave this is hard for any man, even the legendary boss.

"I've always thought this would be a good spot for a permanent base" Belphegor concurs before turning to Gokudera, "Aren't I a genius".

Gokudera flinches after seeing Belphegor's creepy smile. The duo has a long standing rivalry dating all the way back to their first fight. The battle for the storm ring. The positions of the two storm flame users blur history and confuses many people who wish to know about their past, for back then Belphegor defeated Gokudera due to extreme circumstances.

"There's no way I'm accepting you as a genius" the storm guardian casually insults his assassin counterpart.

That elicits a chuckle from Belphegor, "Oh well, everyone will know my genius eventually".

"I agree with Tsuna" Haru declares, "Back in Europe and even in Pakistan we set up temporary resistance camps. If we could have just told people that there was a permanent resistance out there somewhere, it would have brought them great hope".

Xanxus interprets this agreement as confirmation that they would develop a permanent base here. "In that case we need a checklist of things we need".

"Lord Xanxus" Levi begins, "What sort of things are you referring to".

Squalo, knowing Xanxus mind best out of the Varia, takes it upon himself to explain. "What he means is we need permanent sources of food, permanent sources of water and perhaps even electricity and more sophisticated communications equipment than this old radio".

"Does that mean you haven't got any of those things yet" Tsuna asks as he turns his gaze towards Squalo.

"No, we have none of them boss".

"How have you even managed to survive this long" Gokudera questions. Without permanent sources of water and food it would be very difficult for even seasoned veterans to survive. For a group of resistance members who had never seen battle before it was almost unthinkable.

"It's because I'm a genius" Belphegor answers.

"I wasn't talking to you" yells the storm guardian as he points at the self-proclaimed genius.

The son of the 9th ignores his two argumentative allies. "Extreme rationing and suicide mission" he answers.

"It's not been easy on the men and women here but we have just about got through the worst of it" Squalo adds, "Winters are particularly hard".

"It's going to get better now guys, I promise you".

Xanxus nods, "OK, in that case water should be first right".

"Water will be difficult to obtain here, especially permanently" Ellen concludes.

"Digging isn't our specialty, but you can find springs if you dig deep enough into the mountain" says the Varia leader.

"I use bombs" Gokudera reminds the group, "Digging is very much my specialty".

 **Atop the Nearest Mountain**

This has been suggested by Squalo as a good place to 'dig' for a water spring. If you could label this process as digging. Gokudera's plan is nothing humans haven't done before, using explosive for the purposes of mining has been done for many years, the problem is that it's not a subtle process.

"Isn't this going to be detected" the storm guardian yells as he places several bombs on the surface of the stony formation.

"Mammon says he can block off all light and sound from the mountain for a while" replies the storm officer of the Varia.

"How am I supposed to trust you" Gokudera yells, bringing up the sour history between the duo.

"Come on" huffs the 'genius', "When haven't I had your back".

"Almost every time we meet one another you try to kill me".

Belphegor nods, "I missed out on that chance didn't I" he decides as he looks at the horizon.

"Stop sounding so disappointed about it" demands Gokudera, waving his fist as he maintains the heightened volume of his voice.

 **The Himalayas Hideout**

Ellen looks through her binoculars at the storm guardian and officer. The two, Gokudera in particular, seems to be waving their fists and pointing a lot. This confuses the former soldier as she has little knowledge of the duo's past interactions.

"Are these two supposed to get along" she asks without looking away. "They sure yell at each other a lot. Well Gokudera yells and Belphegor seems to just be chuckling to himself".

Tsuna looks at his Varia leader with wide eyes. "Xanxus of all the men why did you choose to send Belphegor with him".

"There is one reason and one reason only" Xanxus answers as he raises his index finger, "His laugh was starting to annoy me".

The boss sweatdrops, "Don't give a reason like that".

 **3 Hours Later, Atop the Mountain**

Boom is the sound that resounds through the mountains (if you are inside Mammon's barrier). A collection of explosions coloured blue, green and red put a huge dent in the mountain top, shattering its previous appearance and replacing it with a look anew.

The man who placed those bombs runs over and looks into the crater he has created. "Belphegor, come over her".

The knife wielder runs over to join his rival, patting him on the back as he looks into the crater. "You did it bomb boy, you found us our water source".

Belphegor raises his arm so that it can be seen from the base.

 **The Himalayas Hideout**

"Belphegor has given the signal" Ellen declares as she removes her face from her binoculars, "We have a permanent source of water".

"Yosh" Squalo shouts excitedly.

"Squalo, collecting water is a relatively safe job" Xanxus points out, "It doesn't require you to go far from HQ and there should be no enforcement officers between us and the water".

"I understand boss; I will get the kids to collect the water".

"You have kids at a permanent resistance base" Tsuna incredulously asks as he looks Xanxus in the eyes.

Xanxus snorts in reply, "What do you expect me to do, turn them down and send them back to their god".

The 10th bites his upper lip and shakes his head, "I suppose not, this job is perfect for them".

Soon Belphegor and Gokudera return.

"We have our hot spring" Gokudera announces.

"And that has gotten us thinking quite a bit" adds Belphegor with a toothy smile. "If we got someone a bit more delicate than either of us to carve the rocks then…".

"Then…" Haru prompts.

"They could make this whole thing seem natural, then as the water passes inside Mammon's illusion barriers he could make it seem like a stream" the storm officer finishes.

The issue as it stands is that Mammon's illusion barriers don't encompass the peak of the mountain where the crater has been made. The barriers have only been improved temporarily and it has put great strain on the Varia's illusionist.

"To the outside world it would look like a stream" notes Gokudera, "But in actuality it would be an irrigation system, we could use it to set up a small farm".

"That's a great idea guys" smiles Tsuna.

"Yosh, good thinking Belphegor" shouts Squalo, as ever the quickest in the Varia to criticise and to praise his comrades.

"Squalo you use a blade; you should be good at carving" the 10th decides as he places his hand on the swordsman's shoulder.

"Me?"

"Go and start already" demands Xanxus, impatient as ever with his second-in-command.

"Voi, don't you have any idea how much work that will be".

Xanxus nods to Levi who opens the door. Without any concern for the rain officer's safety, Xanxus pulls Squalo's chair out from under him and kicks him just hard enough. Squalo hurtles out of the door.

"He was annoying as hell anyway" comments the dark haired assassin.

Tsuna can't help but agree, "He's a little over-enthusiastic anyway".

Xanxus casually nods before he turns to look at Haru.

"What… what is it" Haru asks as she holds Juu tightly to her body.

"So who is the father anyway".

"Me obviously" Gokudera shouts at Xanxus.

Levi smiles sarcastically at the mafia's second in command, "We just didn't think you had what it took bomb man".

"Come on, I just got you your water source".

Xanxus points at Juu, "So what do you keep it around for anyway, spare rations?".

Mammon joins in, "They must use it as weights for training".

"You can all go straight to hell" Haru shouts.

Laughter fills the room as the storm guardian and policewoman begin to realise that the Varia were only teasing them. Although laughter and joy fill the room right now, there is still a long way to go for the mafia if they are to win this war.


	58. To be Appreciated

**THE NEW WORLD – TO BE APPRECIATED**

 **Outside the Himalayas HQ**

Tsuna wakes up gently and naturally, the first time he has done so in months. He looks at his watch, it's midday. It is the day after the resistance achieved a permanent source of water and leadership is still required. To that end the boss decides to get up immediately and see what is happening.

The boss walks outside only to be blinded by the sun, he covers his eyes as they adjust to the brightness. The wind howls loudly in his ears as he waits for his vision to improve. In spite of the wind some sounds still reach the ears of the 10th generation boss. Some shouting and some crashing and banging, he recognises the voices that are shouting.

Sure enough when his vision returns to him, Tsuna is confronted with the sight of the storm guardian and officer. Belphegor looks like has just had the chance to clean his clothes for the first time in years, the boss estimates this to be the truth as they have previously had to ration water.

"It will take a lot of work" Gokudera begins, "but together we can pull this off".

"Let's all work hard to surprise the boss" Belphegor adds.

"YES" is the resounding reply from the resistance members. Each one of them works frantically, whether it is chopping wood, carrying packages are fixing things together.

"What are you two up to" Tsuna asks.

Gokudera and Belphegor both spin on their heels and adopt a more conservative posture as they realise that their leader is behind them.

"Didn't you hear 10th" starts Gokudera, "it's a surprise".

Tsuna smiles, "In that case I won't spoil your fun". The Vongola boss looks around, taking in the beautiful scenery. His gaze rests on the mountain, the crater made by Gokudera is beginning to look more and more natural. He judges that it won't be long before Mammon can lower the barrier around the peak without arousing suspicion.

"So where is Haru" the boss questions Gokudera having not seen his child's mother all morning.

"She says she felt like training herself to be more careful with her sword, so she went to help Squalo with the carving" the storm guardian answers with a smile.

"Who is taking care of Juu" Tsuna asks curiously.

Gokudera's whole body appears to shiver as he is questioned by the 10th. He contorts his face in an unnatural manner and speaks through the very edge of his mouth. "Lussuria".

"Why him of all people" shouts the boss.

"You could have asked me, I'm a genius after all" Belphegor goads his rival.

"You aren't a genius and there's no way I would pick you anyway" retorts the father before he turns to his boss, "The choices were this guy, Levi, Lussuria or Xanxus… it wasn't a hard choice".

"Lord Xanxus wouldn't have really used him as spare rations you know" remarks the knife wielder.

"That's enough out of you" the right-hand man shouts.

Tsuna shakes his head, while it is nice to experience the childish banter between the guardian's and the Varia once more listening to these two argue makes your ears hurt quickly.

"Where is Ellen?".

"She is briefing some of the men and women if you want to go see her" Gokudera remarks.

Belphegor points to a small extension of the hideout, "The briefing room is just over there".

Tsuna thanks the duo for their help and for their good work before making his way over to the briefing room. He heads inside and acknowledges the respectful salutes of each and every resistance member he walks past.

Entering the briefing room, the chestnut haired man notes that Ellen is addressing a few men and women just as Gokudera had suggested. They are all stood up in a formal position, presumably Ellen is trying to work military efficiency into them, the boss concludes.

"So I propose we set up watch posts here, here and here" Ellen suggests as she points at a map that has been provided for her, "What do you all think".

Universal agreement is the response, a collection of nods and a few quiet grunts of approval.

Spotting that Tsuna has entered the room, the former soldier quickly reacts in the correct military procedure. "ATTENTION".

The men and women slam their legs together and their gazes are fixed to the front of the room.

Tsuna starts, realising the formal stance is a result of his presence, "Oh, as you were sorry".

"Actually we were just about done anyway" reports the resistance manager, "You guys can go and organise the resources to build these posts".

As the men and women flood out, offering Tsuna greetings ranging from "hello" to "afternoon sir", Ellen makes her way over to the boss slowly but steadily.

"They are an enthusiastic lot" she informs him, "I think they are pretty in awe of the fact that you are Sawada Tsunayoshi".

Tsuna looks out the door that the resistance members just left through, "Who knows what Xanxus has been telling them, they probably think I was the secret reason we avoided the cold war".

Ellen laughs at the suggestion. She understands better than the mafioso why people behave like this. Throughout history there have been many figures who people have greatly relied upon yet never have so many people universally relied upon the same man. Even a religious figure like Jesus only shared his religion with a fraction of the world's population. Even wartime leaders were only in charge of half the warring citizen's but every formerly free human on this planet was depending on the Vongola boss.

"What did you discuss with them" Tsuna smiles inquisitively.

"I went over a set of codes we will use to identify each other, how to classify things, I set them up in ranks and groups" Ellen swings her head side to side to indicate that is just a few of things she has done, "I was organising them to be as effective a military group as possible, tomorrow they are going to set up watch posts".

"Watch posts?".

"They will be on the edge of radio contact range" explains Ellen, "They will reliably be able to alert the HQ if anyone is coming".

"This is all fantastic Ellen, remind when this is all over that the mafia needs more people like you" compliments the boss as he places his hand on his comrade's shoulder.

"I do my best sir".

 **An Hour Later, The Meeting Room**

Tsuna waits in the meeting room as he has been for 10 minutes. The man he has been waiting for arrives in a timely fashion, the Varia leader, the leader of this HQ Xanxus.

"Boss what is this all about, it's not like you to have secret meetings and such" remarks the assassin. Historically Tsuna has refused to keep secrets from his guardians, he preferred to take the darkness into the light than the light into the darkness.

"This meeting isn't really secret, I just wanted to talk to you alone for a moment" Tsuna says as he gestures to the chair opposite his own.

Xanxus takes him up on the offer, smiling as he sits down opposite his boss.

"From what I have seen here" begins Tsuna, "When I think back to the ring conflict the 9th was afraid of several of your traits, now all of those traits are gone. I just wanted to let you know that you are truly mafia now".

Xanxus holds his smile but does his best to sound impatient, "Is that all, come on we have a lot of work to do". Xanxus stands up and makes for the door.

"I've not brought you here simply to compliment you, I have something to inform you of" the Vongola boss declares.

"What is it?".

Tsuna sighs, "There is a good change I will die before this is all over, or maybe that I will have to give my life to kill Honda".

The seated man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a shiny metallic object. The symbolic Vongola ring. He throws this ring gently to Xanxus.

"This is yours" he declares.

"So you want me to choose your successor" concludes the son of the 9th, "Well I suppose now that CEDEF is gone this is the best we can do".

"You are the successor" Tsuna announces without hesitation.

"Without the old rings you don't need the blood of Vongola to be the successor" the boss deduces, "And if you had the attitude you do now all those years ago the 9th wouldn't have hesitated to break the rules, to name you the boss. So I won't hesitate either".

"Congratulations 11th".

Xanxus saunters over to Tsuna and slides the ring onto his finger in a ceremonious manner.

"What are you doing Xanxus?".

"The 11th will only take the ring when the 10th is dead and I haven't seen your corpse yet" remarks the Varia leader.

"Look at that other ring on your finger" he continues, "You and I are both members of the seven great mafioso. Mine shows me to be the leader of the assassins but yours shows you to be the leader of all Mafia. That ring will be passed on to another after you and that certainly won't be me. So until the Mafia leader ring is passed on I won't take the Vongola ring."

Ellen walks in, interrupting the meeting and immediately apologising for doing so. "I'm sorry to interrupt but there is something outside waiting for the two of you".

 **Outside the Himalayas HQ**

Tsuna and Xanxus both stare at the construction before them, the construction that Gokudera and Belphegor have been overseeing. They have created this surprise in only one day, a colossal feat only made possible by their genius and the hard work of the resistance.

"This is…" Tsuna starts.

"A windmill" finishes the Varia leader.

"It's actually a wind turbine" Gokudera corrects as he skews his voice, "It is disguised as a windmill though so I will give you that".

The storm guardian approaches the Varia leader and hands him a large red button, it is large to the level where it wouldn't be out of place in a comedy sketch show.

"Xanxus, when you press the button the lights we have put in the HQ should light up" the engineer declares with confidence.

Xanxus looks to his left, as if a child looking at their parent for instructions.

"What are you waiting for" chuckles Tsunayoshi, "Just push it".

"No need to be sentimental" scoffs Xanxus as he looks at the emotional faces of the resistance members. He takes the button from Gokudera and places his hand on it. The assassin raises his head one more time to look at the men and women who follow him and hesitates when he does so.

' _The looks on their faces, I never thought about until Sawada spoke to me earlier'_ he says to himself, _'But since back then when I first saw his guardians face I realised the difference, respect and not fear'_.

' _The look on my officers faces, on the faces of all these men and women, it is respect not fear'_.

Xanxus once more looks to Tsuna who is still smiling to him. The former is the Varia leader, the first one to work hand in hand with the latter who is the Vongola leader.

' _Sawada realised this, that's why he gave me that ring'_ concludes the scarred assassin, _'You idiots, getting so sentimental over something like pushing a button'_.

Xanxus pushes the button with an unusually large smile on his face. His bright expression is complimented by the bright lighting that erupts throughout the HQ and the surrounding area. They have electricity.

"Mission success" Ellen decides, "We have electricity".

"Good work everyone" shouts Gokudera who had a large hand in helping to complete this project. Utilising his engineering skills was of the utmost importance in facilitating this turbines existence.

"And it's all because of my genius" declares Belphegor which draws an angry look from his rival.

"Voi, we've nearly set up permanently now" Squalo shouts despite the leading group all being in close proximity to each other.

"There is only one more thing we really need" decides Gokudera.

Tsuna has to be reminded, "What is that?" he asks.

"The most awkward thing of all, permanent, long range communication".


	59. Genius

**THE NEW WORLD – GENIUS**

 **The Meeting Room, Himalayas HQ**

The officers of the Mafia, combined with Ellen, pour into the meeting room. A few spare members of the resistance have worked hard to extend the room slightly but it is still cramped. The table has been replaced with a slightly larger one and can now seat a total of four people. The four people chosen to sit at the table are Tsuna, Xanxus and their most intelligent subordinates, Gokudera and Belphegor.

The meeting centres around how to establish long range communications, normally both Tsuna and Xanxus would consider this non-essential but this time is different. Tsuna is the only one who needs to be on the move constantly and it would be best if everyone else was huddled together at the base so that they could prepare for a fight together. Regardless, Tsuna is the mafia's leader and needs to be able to communicate with the bulk of his forces even while on the move.

Xanxus looks across the metal table at his leader and realises how much he has come to respect the man. Formally the Varia's leader would consider himself the best person to make the decisions in this kind of war but no longer, now he truly believes in the elder of the Sawada brothers.

"So, how do we set up long distance communication" Xanxus asks, posing a question that the whole meeting centres around.

While Ellen is an expert in communication of all kinds from her time in the army she still has inferior technological knowledge to the engineering supervisor Gokudera Hayato.

The white haired guardian speaks to the leaders, "Things like this are awkward and they depend on satellites and other factors".

Hearing that satellites are involved in this causes the officers to gently nod their heads. While they have all suspected that satellites would be required for long range communication they hoped it wouldn't be true. Using satellites stealthily is no easy matter.

"However" begins Gokudera, refocusing their attentions, "Belphegor and I have been working to sort out this issue and we have produced this".

Gokudera picks up a keyboard like device from the floor. The positioning of the keys suggests it is not a keyboard though that was likely the inspiration for the design. Many members of the mafia question when or how Gokudera and Belphegor were able to produce such technology but quickly discard the thoughts from their minds.

"What is that" Tsuna asks the question on everybody's minds.

Belphegor taps his finger on the table next to the device. "This will allow us to control a satellite remotely under several circumstances, unfortunately the circumstances are difficult to bring about".

Gokudera raises his index finger. "First we need someone to stay here and operate this device, that person would need to be trained in military based communication protocols".

"In other words it has to be me". Ellen rests her chin on her hand and examines the device. "I hope I'm as good at this as I used to be".

"We'll be relying on you Ellen, even though I'm the genius" chuckles the storm officer.

Gokudera raises his second finger, "Secondly, we need to go to the nearest city with a satellite control station".

Xanxus leans forward and cups his hands together, "We can easily move a large number of people a great distance now but you can't seriously expect us to have them charge into the city".

"Why not" Haru asks.

"A city with a control station like that would have a strong Yakuza presence, the boss and I can't risk fighting, if our whereabouts were reported to Honda then he may find the base".

Tsuna finishes Xanxus morbid predictions, "Realistically almost half of the attackers would die if we did this".

"That's why we are taking out as much of the defence system as possible first" explains the storm guardian.

Belphegor puts a small map on the table, seemingly of the underground sewer system of a city. "Gokudera and I will head down beneath the city in the sewer system, we will plant a bomb beneath the power station and blow it up".

"Not only will this take down any automated defence systems but it will disable security systems in the control station" explains Gokudera, "It would run solely on emergency power".

Belphegor takes Squalo's radio, causing the rain officer to shout at his subordinate. The former chuckles as he puts the radio down onto the table before him.

"Using a daisy chain of radio operators we can tell Ellen the control codes she needs to take control of the satellite".

"I get it" the resistance manager shouts, "Once I have control we can move the satellite ourselves and disguise which one they have lost control of. We will be able to set up our own mobile phone network".

Gokudera points his finger at Ellen, "Exactly" he says.

"This plan is still very risky" Tsuna gazes a hole into the table.

His gaze then switches repeatedly between his storm guardian and storm officer. "I will accompany you two in the sewer system, if anything goes wrong before this starts I will go ultimate and run away with the two of you".

Squalo gives the 10th an incredulous look, "Will you really be OK if you do that".

He is answered with a shrug. "The three of us can just go back to the old method as a last resort… before then we need to do everything in our power to make sure this works".

"Yes, yes we have to try this plan" Xanxus concurs, "Everyone make preparations, we move out tomorrow".

 **The Sewer System**

The trio of Tsuna, Gokudera and Belphegor make their way along the sewer system. The 10th is pleasantly surprised about the lack of arguments between Gokudera and Belphegor, not for the latter's lack of trying however. For some reason the new father is reluctant to rise to the blonde's taunts.

While you might think that fate had spared Sawada Tsunayoshi, nothing could be farther from the truth. The lack of an argument is nice for the boss but the smell is not. _'It is a sewer after all'_ he recalls. Before the war started he spent most of his time with his wife, someone with the ability to manipulate smell to be as delightful as she wanted, now he was walking alongside a stream of flowing excrement.

"We are getting closer aren't we" asks the boss as he waves his hand before his face.

"Yeah, we're getting closer" whispers the storm guardian as he slows to a stop.

"Hmm, Gokudera" Tsuna stops without turning around, "What are you…".

Tsuna is attacked by the person he trusts most in the world, Gokudera Hayato. One swift blow to the back of the head is enough to knock the Vongola boss out. No normal person could take him out in one blow but when he is in his base form, an attack from behind by a guardian is more than enough.

Belphegor spins on his heels and draws his weapons, "What are you doing Gokudera?".

The aforementioned storm guardian props his boss gently up against the wall, "Belphegor" he quietly begins, "I need you to take the 10th back, you see there is something I haven't told him… this bomb needs to be activated in person and I'm not good enough to put a delay on it".

"When I activate this bomb, I will die".

Belphegor starts, "You…".

"He would have never let me do it if he were awake so I need you to take him back, take him back so that I can sacrifice myself for the cause" explains the white haired guardian.

"All those years ago you see… if I had noticed the patterns in the zero-point breakthrough and further pushed the 10th to develop in the x-axis, he might well have beaten Honda".

"I'm going to sacrifice myself to redeem that sin".

Belphegor pauses while he takes in what his ally is saying. "I understand perfectly; I understand what you are staying".

The blonde chuckles, "But still…".

Gokudera's leg is dragged towards the ceiling causing him to lose his balance. He is being suspended by something, after a few seconds he determines that it is a near invisible wire. The same near invisible wire that is only used by Belphegor.

"What is this" the father shouts.

Belphegor ignores the protests of the storm guardian as he takes the bomb from him.

"What are you doing, that's my job" Gokudera continues to yell at the top of his voice as he struggles with the wire.

The storm officer shakes his head, "No, the 10th still needs you at his side and you are a father, you have a child depending on you. Yes, Little Juu is depending on you".

Gokudera grits his teeth as he continues to try and untie the wire.

"I expect Sawada will wake up soon, he can cut you down" suggests Belphegor.

"You… are you really going to do it" Gokudera asks.

"Yeah, the explosion will happen and I will be at the centre of the attack… just as someone with the storm flame should be… right" smiles Belphegor.

The storm guardian begins to shed tears, travelling from his eyes onto his forehead as he is suspended upside down.

"Belphegor… why… why…".

Belphegor chuckles like he always does.

"Because I'm a genius right?".

Gokudera tightly closes his eyes as if to hold back the tears.

"Yeah… you're a genius".

"Farewell, Gokudera Hayato".

 **A Cliff Above the City**

Standing above the city, dressed in a cape, the wind flowing through his short hair is the Varia leader Xanxus. The son of the 9th appears to be gazing over a motionless city. The lights from the city so bright that he can't see the stars but the streets empty with the exception of those titled enforcement officers.

The event he's waiting for happens and it lights up the city even more. An enormous explosion seems to shake the city itself, as car alarms go off and lights go out.

"GO NOW" he yells into his radio.

 **On the Edge of the City**

Here are the remainder of the Varia waiting for the signal from their leader. The only exception to this is Mammon who stays away to oversee the use of the barrier.

"GO, NOW, GO" Squalo yells upon receiving his orders.

Levi is the first to act, striding forward and taking out some of the enforcement officers with his parabolas.

Lussuria nods to Squalo who whispers a plan to the sun officer. Instead of joining the fight he leaps to the rooftop of a nearby building. The jump is impressive; more than any human should be able to jump.

Squalo ignores the attacking guards, deciding that Levi and the resistance members can handle them. The rain officer runs straight towards the satellite control station.

"STOP RIGHT THERE". A couple of Yakuza members block Squalo's path. Clearly they have determined where he is going. Squalo can tell these guys are too strong for the average resistance members to deal with but his plan from before comes to fruition.

Falling from the building above, Lussuria lands on top of one of the guards before beginning to attack the other.

Squalo runs into the control building and quickly finds the console needed to obtain the codes for the satellite.

"Squalo, have you got the codes yet" Xanxus impatiently asks through the radio.

"One moment… got them" replies the rain officer. He then begins reading from the screen before him, two numbers at a time he reads the codes to Xanxus.

Xanxus writes down these codes as they are so lengthy. It is a good thing that Gokudera had insisted they take pen and paper in case this happened. Following writing down the codes Xanxus begins the daisy chain by reading them to the next in line.

A few minutes pass as the codes are passed along before Squalo speaks to Xanxus once again.

"Voi Xanxus, have we got confirmation yet, we are getting a lot of casualties here" he shouts.

"Wait for it, it can't be long Squalo".

A few more minutes pass as the enforcement officers demonstrate their superior organisation. Although the Varia members are slightly stronger than their Yakuza counterparts, they are outnumbered and are unable to help their allies who have never fought before.

"Squalo, they've got it, get everyone out of there" orders Xanxus.

With no order whatsoever, the men and women of the resistance pile out of the city. Running for the hills so fast that the enforcement officers stand no chance of running after them. Tsuna's previous estimates have proven about right, half of them have been lost for the sake of this plan.

The losses don't matter right now though; what matters is getting out of there.

 **The Himalayas HQ**

With the exception of Tsuna and his group, the entire city raid detachment has returned to base. While the remaining members of the Varia check on the men and women, ensuring that they are well hydrated, Xanxus talks to Ellen who has Gokudera's device in hand.

"Ellen, status report".

"Lord Xanxus, the mission was a complete success, our satellite has avoided all attempts at tracking".

Haru picks up her child and holds him close to her face. "We did it Little Juu".

"I always knew we could pull of something like this" boasts Lussuria.

"VOI, LISTEN UP" Squalo shouts.

"Burn the memory of this day into your brain".

"We have been in a constant state of retreat, of fear, we have been fighting a losing fight against the Yakuza".

"But today… today was our first instance of victory".

"This was the first day that we have truly fought back against the Yakuza".

The resistance cheers mightily as they rally to agree with Squalo. Haru joins in but is distracted, she is the only one to realise that the door opens, the only one to realise that Tsuna is helping Gokudera to limp inside.

"What happened" Haru shouts to Tsuna, silencing the cheers.

"We haven't had this day without losses" remarks Tsuna.

"Belphegor isn't with you?" Xanxus walks over to the duo.

"He… he stayed with the bomb… he made sure that it would go off".

Squalo holds his face with his palm. "Belphegor…".

"Listen up" Tsuna takes his turn to shout to the resistance members. "Tonight we will light a fire and sing songs in honour of Belphegor and in honour of all those who died today".

"None of them will be forgotten, understand?".

Nobody speaks a reply and it seems as if many are just remembering for the first time that they have lost family and friends today. Tsuna is met with a universal nod from the entire hall.

Gokudera makes a resolution in his heart. _'You died for me today Belphegor, you died for my son and for the resistance. I will make sure your sacrifice isn't wasted'_.


	60. Shoot to Kill

**THE NEW WORLD – SHOOT TO KILL**

 **The Himalayas HQ**

Once more the leaders at the Himalayas HQ cramp themselves into the small meeting room. This time one of the chairs at the table is left empty, it is the chair that Belphegor sat in just yesterday. It would be more practical if someone was to sit in the chair, to make more space but nobody does. The chair belongs to a ghost, an invisible man and it has been left to him as a sign of respect.

"Gokudera, I understand you were working on something last night" Tsuna begins.

Despite his external enthusiasm for the meeting Tsuna is worrying on the inside. He is worrying for his storm guardian's state of mind. In spite of the constant arguments Gokudera shared with Belphegor the two were rather alike, they would have been great friends eventually. Yet right now Gokudera must have felt partly responsible and what's worse, he doesn't seem to be getting any sleep.

"Yes" the storm guardian replies as he rolls a schematic out on the table before them. "Now this won't be easy and you will have to rely on salvage but this is a design you can implement here".

Xanxus examines the schematic before him despite knowing he doesn't understand any of the symbols on the diagram, Levi's expertise should be circuits he tells himself.

"What is this design exactly" the Varia leader questions without looking away from the paper.

"This is a mobile phone, one that will only respond to the network we have setup" the storm guardian yawns as he explains.

"This work is fantastic" remarks Squalo, surprising the others with his understanding, "With this we will be able to communicate with you anywhere you go".

Gokudera nods gently, "Yeah that's right, there is a certain trick to manipulating this system though".

Everyone looks to their peers, nobody quite understanding what the storm guardian is getting at. A trick, is that something they will be able to implement, only a couple of people in the room have any understanding of this system.

"The trick is that we have to tell you where we are going in advance" explains Gokudera.

Levi leans forward onto the table, "Why is that bomb man?".

"We have to reposition the satellite to communicate, you will have to work out how to position it so as to talk to us in each country".

This is the problem with taking only one satellite. Normally worldwide communications are facilitated by an enormous array of satellites which combine to cover the surface of the entire world. The mafia don't have an entire array, obtaining one has been hard enough.

"Which one of you guys are most suited to this kind of work" Gokudera asks as he looks between the officers of the Varia.

Nobody answers.

The silence is broken by a sigh, the sigh of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"Gokudera, you're the only one who can operate the satellite controls, you and Haru are staying here" explains the 10th.

"Me". The engineer appears more awake than he has been all day, "But 10th…".

"I need you here doing this" Tsuna smiles, "Besides, you can't raise Juu while being on the run".

Gokudera looks over to Haru holding their child close to her chest. In her arms Gokudera's son rests peacefully, more so than he had been at any point while they were on the run.

Gokudera shakes his head, "I could come by myself… I could teach Ellen to operate the satellite".

Tsuna places his hand on Gokudera's shoulder and looks him in the eye. "Ellen is only a beginner, you're the creator, the master of this technology. Also I need Ellen for her local organisational skills, you know I can't do this without them".

The storm guardian continues to shake his head, "This, this is not OK… it's not OK for me to just let you alone, not after all this time".

"Look at me" Tsuna places a hand on Gokudera's other shoulder as well, compounding his grip. "As long as one guardian is left alive I will never be alone; I have all of the mafia with me. All I need to do is look to the sky".

Tsuna releases his best friend and continues. "Hey, I'm not letting you off yet, one day the final battle will arrive and I will be expecting you and the Varia to come".

"Voi, of course we will be there" shouts Squalo. A huge sigh travels around the room as the emotional discussion is intruded by his overbearing mannerisms.

"I can guarantee you will be there Squalo because I am sending you with him" Xanxus casually remarks.

Squalo adopts a look of stupor and points to his head with his index finger. "Me… why me?".

"It seems the boss needs a new second-in-command. You are an over the top leader who never lets morale get low, you are strong enough to protect the boss when he is weak. In that sense you are the closest thing I have to Gokudera.".

"So we are just doing a little trade for a while" smirks the 10th Vongola boss.

"That's right… I'm entrusting this loud mouth to you" the Varia leader answers with a smirk of his own.

"I won't let any harm come to him, make sure you protect Gokudera and Haru in return".

"Anyone who flies the flag of Vongola is safe under my command" Xanxus answers with a reassuring tone.

Tsuna rises from his chair and positions himself between Ellen and Squalo. Suddenly, unbeknownst to the duo he swings his arms around their shoulders, pulling them close to him in a friendly manner.

"So guys, do you want to go to America?".

"Yes, let's kick some Yakuza ass" Squalo shouts as he punches his own palm.

"It's been a long time since I've been back to the country I swore to protect" Ellen declares, "Well, I guess it's finally time I kept that promise".

"I will make sure to stay in touch 10th" Gokudera says as he approaches his best friend and embraces him.

"I will speak to you soon Gokudera". Tsuna rescinds the hug.

The white haired guardian offers a small device to his boss. "It's the first mobile phone, I… I made it last night, it was supposed to just be a prototype but it works… I will have another one made before you get there".

Tsuna takes the phone gratefully. "Make sure you do, that's an order Gokudera".

"Yes sir".

 **An Abandoned House, The United States**

Sat downstairs in the abandoned house are a group of men and women in their twenties and thirties. The clothes they are wearing have no co-ordination relative to each other and they are torn in many places. It could be easily determined by any who saw them that they have been sleeping rough for some time now.

Despite the state of the group they are cheerful and jovial. The source of that joy, of that cheer is one man who many years ago met the enemy who would change his life. The source of this group's joy is the son of Vongola Primo, Vongola Bana.

Bana scrapes the last few bits out of a tin of baked beans that he has been eating. "Look at this, your cooking gets better every day Kyoko".

The sun policewoman sneers, "It's not the wife's job to cook anymore, that sexist stereotype was ironed out… was gotten rid of ages ago".

Bana laughs hysterically, "I was just joking, just joking".

The clone looks around to see a faint smile on the faces of his followers, the only exception being Tokata, his thunder policeman who is keeping watch.

"Still tinned food has its own distinctive taste doesn't it".

"You can say that again" Sorata nods as he lifts some tinned food up and lets it dribble through his fork, back into the tin.

Footsteps come from the staircase, the group look to see the descending knife enthusiast, Tokata.

"Boss, there are some lights nearby" the thunder policeman explains.

Bana sighs, _'Here we go again'_.

The chief policeman of the mafia gets up slowly, his stiff joints troubling him as if he were twice his true age. "Get ready to move to the next place" he orders as he picks up his modified bow and climbs the staircase from which Tokata descended.

"Do you think we will be doing this for the rest of our lives" Sorata questions as he throws his half-finished tin across the room.

"Bana will get us out of this eventually" Kyoko firmly declares.

"We will work out an escape plan" Lancia answers as if Kyoko hadn't already done so. "We will work out a route to victory too… eventually".

Tokata leans against the staircase. "Until then we keep doing as the boss says" he decides, matter-of-factly.

Upstairs Bana is looking from the bedroom window. The blonde focuses his dying will flames onto his eye as he gazes down the glass scope of his bow. He observes lights, just as Tokata told him there was. He refocuses, who is holding the lights.

The lights are being held by the enforcement officers of the Yakuza.

Twang. Twang. Twang.

Three quick shots are fired in succession, one for each enforcement officer seen by Bana, Three perfect strikes, death to the Yakuza.

Bana immediately heads downstairs and into the houses communal area. "Let's go" he says as he leads the mafia police from the abandoned house.

' _Tsuna, I hope you are out there, I hope you are fighting for us somewhere'_.

 **A Resistance Hideout, The United States**

The Varia's rain officer crosses his arms as he admires the resistance work around him. "I must admit, I never thought your skill would be this good Ellen".

He walks over to inspect the communications setup. Despite the complexity of the system somehow this old soldier had rallied civilians and they built it as if it were nothing.

"This is impressive even by military standards" he continues.

"I've been doing this for several years now Squalo" Ellen smiles as she twiddles a few dials on the equipment, "I have gotten fairly good at it".

"I can see that".

Sawada Tsunayoshi is stood nearby, looking up at the sky through the opening he insists upon. The sky and unity are linked tightly together within his soul. Tsuna uses the rare moment of peace to practice the zero-point breakthrough in his standard dying will mode but is soon interrupted by a small girl.

"Mr Sawada" the girl shouts as she tugs on his shirt.

"Hello" Tsuna replies, kneeling down so that they are on the same level, "You can just call me Tsuna if you like, I'm not a very formal man".

"There was something I thought I should tell you" the girl continues to speak in her raised voice.

Tsuna smiles, admiring the enthusiasm of the young resistance member, "Anything you can say would be useful, I would like to hear it".

"I watch the guards go by each day, there have been a lot more in this area recently. Hope that's useful". As if she had not spoken at all, the young girl skips off into the resistance camp.

"It must be coincidence, it's not likely to affect us" Squalo calmly concludes.

"I agree, it's not worth investigating boss" Ellen concurs.

"I want to go see what they are looking at" Tsuna decides.

Ellen shakes her head with a wry smile, "Not this again…".

Squalo strokes his chin with his index finger. "The boss' hyper intuition can be wrong but it's always worth taking your chances with".

Ellen stretches her arms out wide. "Please hold on a moment, if they hear that Sawada Tsunayoshi has been around this area it's likely some of the strongest Yakuza members will come running".

The resistance organiser turns to the second-in-command, "Squalo, it would be best if you went to investigate".

"Leave it to me".


	61. Unbelievable Eyesight

**THE NEW WORLD – UNBELIEVABLE EYESIGHT**

 **The Resistance Hideout in the USA**

The rain hammers down in this part of America. Long continuous streams pour down from the lowest parts of the tents raised roofs. The water crashes on the ground as if to destroy it with sheer power, the sound reminiscent of a flowing stream or river.

Through the noise most resistance members are wearing coats but Sawada Tsunayoshi and Ellen don't join them in doing so. The duo is stood closely together with Gokudera's mobile phone between them on speaker phone, they are in the middle of a call.

On the other end of the call are the 9th's son Xanxus and the second-in-command of the Vongola, Gokudera Hayato. It is a different time of day in the Himalayas and the weather is much more pleasant. As the base has continued to increase its permanence, the two men have each obtained comfortable working space in which they can take this call.

"So you're telling me you've lost Squalo already, you're a trashy boss" Xanxus harrumphs through the phone. "Perhaps I will lose you too".

"BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU POINT THAT GUN" Gokudera shouts to Xanxus.

"I'M POINTING IT HERE ON PURPOSE".

Tsuna and Ellen sweatdrop at arguing pair. Both are very headstrong, stubborn and difficult to get along with, it's no wonder they are arguing.

Tsuna speaks into the phone hoping that his subordinates can hear him over their own petty squabbles. "Calm down you two, Squalo has only been gone for two days".

Right as Tsuna says that, the man of the hour returns. Squalo enters the tent, his long white hair sticking tightly to his body as it is soaked in the rain and the water falling from the roof of the tent.

Despite the appearance of the rain officer of the Varia, Tsuna's eyes are not drawn to his hair but his shoulder, for on that shoulder rests something terrible, a body.

"Boss, I'm back" Squalo shouts as if he doesn't have a body non his shoulder.

"So you haven't been lost after all Squalo". Xanxus voice comes out of the phone, his ignorance to the morbid scene apparent in his tone.

"I saw the enforcement officers and followed them back to their base" Squalo informs the dumbstruck Tsuna, "I decided to have a peak around".

Slam, Squalo places the body down on a nearby table, scattering the maps and paperwork from atop of it. The body is of a fair haired young man in enforcement officer clothing, he is clearly dead.

"You can't have been very subtle carrying him around" Ellen remarks.

"I didn't kill him" Squalo reports with mock hurt, "He was already dead, when I found him".

"You expect me to believe that". Tsuna has a frown on his face as he pulls up the sleeve of the enforcement officer to reveal he is not merely an enforcement officer; he is in fact a Yakuza officer. The tattoos on his arm give it away, no ordinary man could make this kill.

"So you spotted that" Squalo smiles, "I'm being honest with you 10th, I didn't kill him. That's probably why he was hidden in the base, there's no way the Yakuza would want it getting out that someone could kill their officers".

Tsuna nods prompting Squalo to continue his explanation. "I also went to the other end of their route and found some tinned cans of food, whoever killed him killed him from an abandoned house, he was part of a several man team".

"A local resistance" Ellen asks as she looks at the body.

Tsuna casts his eyes over the nearest group who are clearly listening in on their conversation. "Heard anything?".

"I've never heard of any other resistance groups around here sir" a woman answers.

"Then who could it have been…".

Xanxus decides to re-enter the conversation. "You should check the body, Squalo is an expert in determining how people were killed".

This makes a lot sense to Tsuna, perhaps the nature of the killing would reveal the identity of the killer. In addition to that Squalo is surely one of the 10 best assassins on the planet, he is not only an expert but a master of this sort of work.

Squalo strips away the man's clothing, so as to get an overall picture of the Yakuza's body. The tattoo's cover him in a way that makes him hard to read but one significant piece of evidence fails to escape Squalo's eye.

The rain guardian taps to a hole near the man's chest, "Look here".

"Whoever killed him did it with some sort of small, sharp projectile, it has cut through his body perfectly".

"Well it wasn't Xanxus" Tsuna answers with a smirk. He starts as someone enters his mind, "It could have been Bana".

"Really" Gokudera exclaims, excited at the prospect, "You think we could have found him 10th".

"That guy…" Squalo begins, "It would be a huge coup if we could get him on our side".

This is an understatement in Tsuna's opinion. With all due respect to both Xanxus and Enma, Bana is the second strongest mafioso behind Tsuna, the man who challenged him in the strongest ring contest in history. If there were to be anyone else who could provide hope in this time of darkness, his name would be Vongola Bana.

"The problem is; we have no way of tracking his movements" Ellen notes as she strokes her chin.

"Then we need to think up a plan" the 10th declares, his voice full of authority as looks to those around him.

A short while passes while the groups on either side of the phone gather their resources, maps, strategists, those with local knowledge and more.

"10th, I've got Haru here with us seeing as she knows Bana the best" Gokudera explains.

"I will do everything I can to help" Juu's mother calls through the phone.

Tsuna nods, Haru's knowledge will be very helpful given that she is the only one from the mafia police who wasn't with Bana the day of the fateful battle. For many years she respected Vongola Bana as her boss, as the man who would help her get vengeance by triumphing over Sawada Tsunayoshi, ironic retrospectively.

"Good" Tsuna acknowledges his subordinate, "Then Haru, what sort of thing would attract Bana's attention".

"The boss uses that bow sight to see things at very long range, perhaps some sort of explosion would attract his attention".

Squalo snorts, unimpressed as he is with the idea. "It would also attract the attention of everyone else within a twenty-mile radius".

"What if I were to power up whilst flying high up in the sky" the boss suggests, "Then he would see me".

Ellen shakes her head and rebukes the idea. "The Yakuza would attack; Honda would come running. If he brought the others with him then we might lose both you and Bana. That would be the darkest day in history".

"Then how about I give him some signal about where we are going next while I power up" Tsuna adds with wide arms. "He's bound to be looking at me while I do it, how could he not, then I give him the signal, say we are going to a city somewhere in the states".

"VOI, What about that man". Squalo is pointing at a seemingly unremarkable member of the resistance.

The man points at himself dumbly, "Me?".

"That shirt says New York on it, what if you wear that boss".

Xanxus says that this is an unacceptable solution through the phone. "Others might see it too, besides how is he supposed to know that means you are going to New York, it might be too subtle".

Tsuna smiles, "In that case I will take your shirt Squalo".

"Don't you think it will be a bit big on you" the rain officer dryly remarks as he crosses his arms.

"What have Squalo's ridiculously expensive shirts got to do with any of this" Xanxus asks.

He described it perfectly, Squalo is known for going around in neat white shirts from the finest Italian shops. He has so many of them that he has managed to keep them around even throughout the war.

"It's pure white" the 10th explains, "We will write a message in small print on it, explaining that I am going to New York, since it will be so small nobody else will be able to read it but Bana".

"What if you are facing the wrong direction" Haru asks.

"That's no problem" her boyfriend answers, "Just write the message on every side of the shirt".

Tsuna nods, although Gokudera can't see it. The Vongola boss supplements the gesture with words, "Alright then, let's put this plan into action".

 **An Abandoned House, USA**

Kyoko hurries down the stairs to the familiar scene of the mafia police eating tinned food. They have been eating tinned food for years now, it can't have been healthy, they are humans not dogs. The sun policewoman has bigger things on her mind than tinned food though.

"Husband, I think you should head upstairs and have a look".

"Why" Bana questions, curious about the urgency in is wife's tone.

"Someone seems to be flying nearby".

Bana shows no signs of the stiffness he experienced last time. He leaps to his feet and grabs his bow in under a second, this situation is far more dangerous, far more crucial than last time.

"The Yakuza must have sent a strong one" he declares as he runs up the stairs and looks through his bow.

The other members of the mafia police follow their chief. They are well aware that if they decide to fight one of the truly strong Yakuza member they would probably die but that is a risk they are willing to make. If they can bring down one of those mighty Yakuza, they wouldn't mind giving their life to do it, such is the helplessness of their struggle.

"I can't believe it" Bana starts as he looks down the sights, "IT'S TSUNA".

"WHAT?" Kyoko jumps in shock.

"Sawada… the Vongola boss?" Lancia shares Kyoko's shock.

"What is he doing in the sky" Tokata asks, focusing as hard as he can on the situation at hand. This moment may change the fate of the world; he decides he can't spend it gawking at the world's hope.

"He's powering up to maximum" Bana informs his followers.

"Then we have to help him, a fight is about to come" Sorata says as he pulls out his extending staff.

Lancia places his hand on the shoulder of his eager comrade. "Hold on one minute, it could be a trap".

"Surely we have to go" Kyoko argues, "This might be it for the mafia if we don't, we have to at least try and help him".

"Wait" Bana orders as a smiles slowly creeps onto his face, "This isn't a trap, it's a clever message, a very clever message. It's in tiny little writing on his shirt, an order, Vongola Bana, head to New York".

"You can read the writing on his shirt from this far away" Kyoko asks, still shocked about the appearance of her ex.

"It could just be coincidence" Tokata replies.

"No, it can't be, only I could have read that" Bana decides, "Get ready, we are leaving for New York tonight, that is where we will find him".

The others begin to pack their remaining tin food into old sacks. They all decide that logically this is quite likely to be a trap but they can't keep the smiles off their faces. After all this time, has Sawada Tsunayoshi really come for them, is he really still fighting for them.


	62. Forwards and Backwards

**THE NEW WORLD – FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS**

 **A Resistance Hideout, New York**

This resistance hideout has been the hardest to set up. The main problem being that unlike most hideouts, this one is in the centre of a well-protected city. New York is a city with a huge population, it's a city with enough enforcement officers to wage a war and it's a city with Yakuza eyes everywhere.

It's Ellen's greatest work to date, the base in which she hides with Tsuna and Squalo, her commanders. They are in an abandoned section of the underground system, an area which has been hidden by the most intelligent minds in the city that never sleeps. Ellen has successfully picked out these people to hide this place and it has been hidden without them being discovered. They have been here for several hours without an attack from the Yakuza, it would seem they have gotten away with it.

The trio contact their Himalayas allies using their phone. Tsuna and Squalo fail to understand how they are able to use the phone underground; Ellen suggests it's part of a very clever setup by some local physicists so they decide not to enquire further.

"The plan was pretty good but I finally am beginning to see a problem" Xanxus declares through the phone.

"What's that" Tsuna asks as he leans against a wall near the phone.

Xanxus voice comes through the phone louder than ever, "How the hell is he supposed to find you in New York, this is no different to before".

Ellen and Squalo look at each other with an expression of concern. It is indeed no different than before, they know they are looking for each other but New York is big place to search for someone. Bana's group have no members with Ellen's skills either, they have no way of finding a local resistance, this could lead to them being caught.

"I hate to admit it 10th but Xanxus is right". Gokudera now speaks through the phone, "There is no difference from before, New York is just too big".

Tsuna snickers, "Are you being slow on purpose?".

Squalo walks over to Tsuna and looks him in the eye. "What do you mean boss, do you mean that there is a difference?".

"Of course" the 10th begins, "I've already send several people out with orders".

Ellen now walks over to Tsuna as well. "You could have told me, so what were the orders, don't keep me in suspense".

"I have told them to wear shirts like the one you gave to me, pure white shirts with messages written on them. Then I sent them to places where Bana will definitely see them".

"I get it" Xanxus starts through the phone, "Landmarks".

"The statue of liberty, central park, the empire state building, sports arenas, in these places and many more". The 10th shrugs his shoulders, "They knew more places in the city than I did obviously, so I told them to go to all the most famous locations".

"One man or woman has gone to each of these places wearing a shirt with small writing on it" Tsuna explains, "And the writing this time has my name and this address written on it".

Ellen smiles, "Unlike last time Bana won't need a prompt to look in the right direction, he will do it out of habit".

Tsuna nods, happy that Ellen understands his thinking. "Human habit, it's a powerful tool, one thing that we will always be able to rely upon and the Yakuza will never be able to stop".

Squalo joins in, a huge smile on his face. "Plus there is Bana's eyesight, that's something they could never hope to compete with".

"There's still one problem" Tsuna's shoulders drop, "What if Bana was never there in the first place, what if it wasn't him, what if all this is for nothing".

"Don't worry about that" a voice comes from a nearby entrance to the room, "I saw it boss and we're all damn glad to see you".

"Bana…" Tsuna pauses for a long while as he locks eyes with the second strongest member of the mafia, "Welcome to the New York hideout, welcome to the resistance, welcome back to the mafia and lastly, welcome home".

Bana places his hand over his heart, "There really is a resistance… father your faith in Tsuna wasn't misplaced".

"Your father's faith was placed in all of us Bana, more than anyone he put his faith in you, his son, never forget that" Tsuna answers back as he places a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Bana nods and Kyoko looks long and hard at Tsuna. "So all this time… you really haven't stopped fighting" she asks. There is still a small part of Kyoko that wants to hold a grudge but it becomes harder when she comes to this realisation. The 10th has really fought for them all along.

"Is that the boss?" Haru shouts through the phone.

"A phone" Bana looks over to the custom made device with wide eyes, "Is that Haru".

"Boss it's me".

Bana laughs jovially, "Haru… it's too good to be true, where are you".

"I'm in the Himalayan mountains" Haru answers, "I don't know where exactly but I'm in the mountains".

A second voice comes through the phone, the voice belongs to Xanxus, "Primo Clone, Haru is speaking from the Varia's Himalayas headquarters, naturally the Varia are here too".

"A Varia HQ on the other side of the world" Bana smiles as his eyes become watery, the realisation of such a strong resistance is almost too much for him. "There really is a full scale resistance, after all this time".

Lancia smiles at his boss' reaction, Lancia himself is more used to solitude and mental anguish than the clone. Bana was born as a full-grown adult so it is easy to forget he is actually very young and inexperienced, the cloud policeman is opposite in this sense, being one of the most experienced people working under the seven great mafioso. As a result, Lancia is not only relieved for himself but more so is relieved for his juniors after they have finally had a great weight lifted from their shoulders.

"Haru, you're alive" Kyoko speaks into the phone.

Kyoko and Haru have a closeness found seldom even between members of the same mafia groups. The duo was together all throughout their trip to the future and in the present timeline when they had supported Tsuna's guardians in their tribulations. Further to this they survived a kidnapping together and trained at the same time under the tutelage of a young Vongola Bana. Before the war, they were inseparable.

"There is so much that has happened, I have so much to tell you" Kyoko continues, sounding more excitable than Tsuna has seen her since before her 'death'.

"So you are here Squalo" Sorata, the rain policeman notes, "So the resistance has gotten to the stage of exchanging personnel".

Squalo nods to his fellow rain attribute, "Yes, this resistance is serious guys, you really have found your route back into the fight. From now on you won't run helplessly from the Yakuza, you will fight with a purpose and with a goal".

The teary Bana turns away from the phone and to his wife. He puts his arms around Kyoko and embraces her tightly, years' worth of emotion flooding out along with his tears.

"Did you always believe in him…" Kyoko asks.

"From the moment he freed me" Bana responds, "I have always believed in him".

The room is filled with positive emotion, relief, joy, happiness, ecstasy. There is not a person in sight who is not in tears or smiling widely, yet that all changes when a message comes through on the phone.

"I'm really sorry to ruin the beautiful moment you are all sharing but have some bad news". The speaker is Gokudera, he seems relatively calm and mutated compared to his usual shouting self.

"What is it Gokudera" Tsuna asks.

"We caught someone from the Yakuza recently and he has begun to talk, I have reason to believe that we have a traitor amongst our ranks… we are going to have to disband the local force and relocate".

"How long do we have" Xanxus asks.

"He can't move as fast as we did when we attacked the city" Gokudera notes, "That time we took a quick and dangerous route only possible because those of us with strength were overseeing the operation. Especially with this weather we have right now, it will take him just under a week to contact Honda".

 **The Himalayas HQ**

Xanxus is scratching his chin while he wonders what to do. He ponders for a moment or two before he turns to the storm policewoman, "Haru, you stay here on the phone to keep communications open, I am going to see what evidence Gokudera has found".

"I will" Haru answers cheerfully as she sits in the seat closest to the phone.

Xanxus rises to a standing position and walks purposefully through the HQ. He strides in the same direction that Gokudera is going just ahead of him. The Varia leader catches up and walks side by side with the storm guardian as they approach one of the newly built rooms.

Gokudera opens the door to the room and gestures Xanxus in. He does go in and when he enters he is confronted by the sight of one man chained up against the wall, that man is surrounded by his loyal subordinates, the Vongola assassination squad, the Varia.

"This guy is?".

"He is a Yakuza officer as I'm sure you suspect" Gokudera answers, "A short while ago I found him trying to sabotage our communication system, trying to use it to alert someone, Honda presumably".

Xanxus looks to the engineer, "You stopped him in time".

"Who do you think I am?" the white haired engineer smiles in reply.

Levi turns to Xanxus; the man he respects most in the world. "Lord Xanxus, he told us there is a traitor in our midst and he even gave us a name".

"I assume you checked it".

"The man with that name is gone" Mammon answers this time as he floats slightly above the ground, "He was one of our top guys, he had full access to our top level files and plans".

"Then it's true" Xanxus murmurs under his breath, "OK, we have to move our HQ within one week".

The chained Yakuza then takes his turn to speak. "Let me tell you something, Lord Xanxus of the resistance". The way he says Lord Xanxus is laced with sarcasm and ridicule.

"I'm not interested" Xanxus replies as he turns his back on the Yakuza.

"I have learnt plenty about this place, the wireless technology to use that satellite, you aren't capable of moving it within one week".

Xanxus laughs maniacally. "You know what, a few years ago I might have believed you but now I think you are underestimating us".

Xanxus takes in the venomous stare of the chained man as he continues, "We have accomplished so much so far, we won't let the resistance die just because of one traitor".

"Within one week we will have moved everything, you can count on that".


	63. You're the Prey

**THE NEW WORLD – YOU'RE THE PREY**

 **The Himalayas HQ**

The fateful conversation between the leader of the Varia and the Yakuza spy has just taken place. Xanxus is more irritated than he has been in ages, he could cope with pain, he could cope with agony and he could even cope with loss but what he could not cope with is his lack of ability to contribute anything to the effort of the resistance.

The men and women with the technical know-how move in all directions quickly, picking things up, putting them down, pulling wires out and putting new one's in. Yet this all means nothing to Xanxus.

"So how much longer is this going to take" he asks with his arms crossed.

"Best estimate is 7 days" Gokudera replies as he rips out some cables.

Gokudera pulls his head away from the equipment before him as he meaningfully looks Xanxus in the eye, "We have to dismantle the walls and carefully remove all of the equipment you know".

Gokudera has been making improvements to the headquarters constantly, embedding the hardware's wiring in the wall's as they the base improved and expanded. As time has gone on the technology has become more sophisticated and expansive, as a result, removing it all is a very slow and complicated process.

The Varia Leader pulls out a pair of guns. "I can help you with the walls".

Gokudera grabs Xanxus wrist as he pushes the gun into the sky. "DON'T… please don't Xanxus… that would destroy the equipment".

The 9th's son attempts to stare down the storm guardian, looking unwaveringly into his eyes to determine whether he was willing to back down. The aforementioned guardian doesn't blink, he's serious about this. Confronted with this seriousness, Xanxus gives a quick "tsk" before he puts his guns away once more.

Levi takes a deep sigh as the volatile situation is defused but Lussuria has further questions.

"How can it take 7 days" the sun officer asks.

"It's not just the equipment that needs to be salvaged, in fact that's relatively low priority. What's most important is the code. The code was stolen, we didn't write it originally, it was likely done by a genius engineer far superior to myself or any other member of the resistance. I need it all copied reliably".

"What about electronic storage" Levi questions.

The storm guardian rolls his eyes in his head, "Yes now that you mention it I think I saw two mp3 players somewhere".

Xanxus tries to think of alternative solutions. "Can't we just take the code stealthily from another satellite station".

"No, never mind how well guarded they would be but each code is unique to its satellite, we have to use this stuff".

The 9th's son continues to think. "In the worst case couldn't we do another raid and get another satellite?".

"They are likely to have increased the security on these places since last time, yes, they will be very well guarded" Gokudera decides, "Besides, I would rather not have to use that self-sacrifice bomb and lose so many people again… Belphegor didn't die for that".

Xanxus sighs. Gokudera is right, as the leader of the Varia, Xanxus should be the first one to try and honour the sacrifice Belphegor made. The storm officer will forever go down in the history of the mafia, in the history of the world as a hero.

"No he didn't" he answers, "Keep doing what you are doing, you can only do your best".

The storm guardian places a hand on Xanxus shoulder, "I promise I will work around the clock".

"XANXUS" a voice calls, "XANXUS".

The caller runs into the room with a baby in her arms, it's Haru.

"What is it?".

"Tsuna and the North American group are coming back here at full speed, they reckon they will be bringing a few engineers to help".

Xanxus considers if this will be of help. Logic dictates that there is no way the 10th could bring his group from New York to the Himalayas HQ before the traitor got from the Himalayas HQ to the nearest city. However, Tsuna and his group could travel the dangerous paths which save a lot of time and their supernatural abilities will make them faster still.

"How long do they reckon they will be" Gokudera asks.

"Three days".

"Maybe… just maybe it will be enough".

 **3 Days Later**

Finally, Tsuna's elite group arrives, bringing a small team of engineers with them only adds to their aura as they walk through the newly-created main entrance to the HQ. Not only Sawada Tsunayoshi but Vongola Bana has also entered, the two strongest members of the resistance.

Without any hesitation, the sun policewoman Kyoko approaches her fellow policewoman Haru and hugs her from the side. "You have a baby" she notes.

"Yes, this little Juu, it's short for Juudaime, go figure" Haru replies with a smile.

"He's so cute".

"I know".

Haru and Kyoko are talking like they used to, it's enough cause for Gokudera and Tsuna to share a smile. Whether the pair of policewomen know it or not, they are back to how they used to be, they are truly members of the Vongola family again.

"It's good to see you Haru" Bana rolls his eyes at their exchange, "But we have more important things to deal with at the moment, don't you think?".

Kyoko puts on a mocking grumpy expression, as if she were a child who had just been scolded. "I have a husband, he's not so cute".

"HIM?" Haru shouts loud enough for the entire base to hear.

Kyoko switches her expression from grumpy to incredulous, "Says the one who married Gokudera".

"We're not married we just have a child".

"Well that's so much better".

Lancia approaches the duo and ruthlessly bangs their heads together.

As the pair rub their now bruised heads the cloud policeman speaks with a dull tone. "The boss says to focus so stop bickering about your partners".

"I'm going to speak with the prisoner" Tsuna declares.

"Why" Xanxus asks as he shakes his head.

"I like talking to the enemy, it satisfies my sense of self-righteousness".

Xanxus laughs as if he has heard the best joke in the world, "I can't believe you actually admitted it, I have got to see this".

With that, the duo walks into the interrogation room as it has now been titled. Xanxus truly is curious, what does Tsuna want to say.

The room is dark with only a few traces of light coming from some poorly powered bulbs. Tsuna deduces that these bulbs have been scavenged from the nearest town before he focuses on the true centrepiece of the room. Before the 10th, fastened firmly with chains is a tattooed man, the Yakuza spy.

A smile slowly comes to the face of the spy, "Wow, I'm impressed, you actually brought the head honcho into the equation".

The Yakuza spy gets two contradicting looks from his two interrogators. While Xanxus looks apathetic and dispassionate, Tsuna looks curious and interested as he gently smiles at the Yakuza. It's as if he is a young child testing his boundaries before the two giants of the mafia.

He chuckles slightly, "You must be running scared".

"Tell me then Yakuza, do I look even the slightest bit afraid".

The spy searches for fear on the face of his greatest enemy but can find none, it appears to him as if Tsuna really does find the whole situation amusing rather than troublesome. This causes a narrow bead of sweat to traverse the brow of the Yakuza officer's head.

"You're an idiot, you're your own worst enemy" Tsuna scolds him.

"How… how can you possibly be so confident?".

The spy deduces that his god should arrive before the mafia leave and history has proven that there is no way the mafia leader can overcome his Yakuza counterpart. Their death or the destruction of this base, one of the two is surely inevitable.

"You've idiotically driven yourself into a corner. I've said all along that human habit is our greatest weapon in this type of scenario".

"Let me tell you now" Tsuna continues, "Honda is a human not a god, I can tell exactly how he is going to act. Your leader is going to dance to my tune perfectly and the mafia is going to come out of this situation even better than we went in".

"Your bluffing".

"Do I look like I'm bluffing?".

"You can't beat our god; it's beyond you just like it was all those years ago Sawada".

Tsuna shakes his head. "Well last time I battled Honda in a contest of strength but this is a contest of wits, so I won't lose".

The 10th boss continues, "All this time you have been hunting us down, relying on the fact that you have superior strength to beat us. In that game we were the prey".

"The game has switched from strength to wits, now you are the prey, Yakuza".

The spy refuses to say any more words and just snarls at the mafia boss.

Tsuna smiles despite the hostile reaction of the captive, "Watch in despair Yakuza, the god you worship so much will fall to the ground, you will witness his defeat for the very first time".

Tsuna and Xanxus step out of the room and the Varia leader immediately turns to his boss.

"That was all a bluff right?".

"Bluff?" Tsuna looks questioningly at the man he has named his successor.

"Weren't you just blowing smoke up his ass" Xanxus asks as he spreads his arms out wide.

Tsuna laughs hysterically, "What a wonderful expression, no, no smoke from me Xanxus". The 10th then turns to his right-hand man, "Gokudera, are you ready to move the code from the satellite to the storage".

"I'm impressed with your knowledge boss" the engineering supervisor replies, "Thanks to your engineers I'm just about ready to begin".

Tsuna made sure to bring the best engineers he could find. It is important to note that the quality of engineering in New York, one of the world's largest cities, is vastly superior to what can be found in the lands surrounding the Himalayan mountains. That qualitative difference has given Gokudera the edge he needs.

"Don't bother" Tsuna says, shocking everyone.

"10th you can't be serious" the storm guardian shouts.

"I'm serious" the 10th replies, "Dismantle the wind turbine instead, the electricity is more valuable to us".

"You're a trashy boss" Xanxus insults the one man he answers to, "That can be set up again easily compared to the communications, we will just be making things more awkward for ourselves".

"Human habit, an easy trick to use, I wasn't blowing smoke Xanxus, remember that. I said I have a simple plan that would leave us in a better position than we stared in and I do".

Those surrounding the 10th watch him in awe, even more so than usual. Tsuna has never been the smartest, earning the moniker no-good in school yet right now he seems truly omniscient to them.

"OK, then I trust you 10th" smiles the right-hand man as he begins to move workers from the communications setup to the power system.

"Thank you Gokudera, now Bana, I have something really dangerous I'm going to ask of you".

Bana nods seriously, "You can ask anything of me Tsuna".

"Well it may seem a bit unconventional so bear with me".

"The mafia police, you are all going to attack Honda, you're going to attack him head on".

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS".


	64. Human Habit

**THE NEW WORLD – HUMAN HABIT**

 **A Short Distance from the Himalayas HQ**

The wind is cool here atop the mountains as Vongola Bana looks down over the edge of the cliff-face. This is the best vantage point he could find for his use of the bow, the great height advantage and relatively low wind speed make for great shooting conditions. A line can be seen on the nearby peaks where the surface changes from snow to stone, a beautiful scene.

The beauty of the surroundings is calming and Bana is grateful for this because he knows there is a good chance this will be the resting place for he and the men and women of the mafia police. Their objective is to attack Honda head on.

' _This plan is suicidal'_ Kyoko decides, _'It's only because of Bana's belief in Tsuna that I am willing to go along with it'_.

Haru doesn't share her friend's pessimism. _'Bana, Tsuna… my bosses, I have full faith in both of you'_.

The breeze gently pushes the hair of the police sideways as they stare down to the ground below. Despite the inherent danger of the situation they all maintain a cool, calm and collected look. This may be the end for them but they are prepared to sacrifice themselves, especially if it is to fight the man who would enslave the world.

"If Tsuna's plan goes horribly wrong and Honda just kill us…" Bana begins.

The chief policeman is interrupted by the arrival of a Yakuza army. Appearing in the distance but moving towards them at an alarming right, a mighty army that consists of well-armed enforcement officers and Yakuza members alike. The speed with which the army moves is not like anything seen in history, it is supernatural and it wouldn't be wrong to call it scary.

Bana opens his mouth for a few seconds before his next words come out in a rush. "I want you to know, I want you to know, it's been an honour working with you all".

Even Bana is intimidated, the second strongest man in the mafia. Should Tsuna be put in this situation it is likely he would be intimidated too, no matter how strong you become sheer numbers like this would be enough to make you think twice about fighting.

Seeing the fear on his comrades faces, the experienced Lancia consoles them. "It will be fine, we will go to the meeting point that Sawada specified, they will get everything done in time".

Upon Lancia finishing his sentence the members of the mafia police see a floating man above the army. Though they have never seen him before they can tell from the aura of strength that follows him, this man is Honda.

"It's time" Bana resolutely declares as he draws his bow. "When they get close to you attack, Tokata, when they get within your range, you attack".

"Everyone, remember what Tsuna said, hold them back like your life depends on it" the clone furthers.

He focuses his ultimate dying will flame on his eye and works in conjunction with his scope. Looking into the distance he has a perfect chance to fire at Honda so he decides to give it his best shot.

Flames gather on the arrow that Bana has prepared, ultimate dying will flame, the strongest flames that he has. The arrow burns so intensely that the edges of his clothes start to burn and then he releases the string.

The arrow launches towards Honda with a speed unrivalled before it hits him head on. Bana's strongest attack has succeeded. At least it succeeded in hitting the Yakuza boss.

Honda emerges from the sea of flame dishevelled but unharmed. He is prepared for a fight today, to eliminate the mafia at all costs, that's why he has brought the strongest men and women from several of the nearest cities. That's why there is such a concentration of Yakuza strength in one area.

' _That guy is strong; it might be worth taking him down. After all that shot made it clear that he is ready to fight me to the death'_. Honda deduces this after one attack from Bana, though the self-proclaimed god has never met the clone before he did order his creation. The Yakuza knows the limits of the mafioso and they were just surpassed.

' _No, he can't become a threat in the future without me sensing it, I need to go straight to the base, I need to kill Tsuna as quickly as possible'_. This decision is what Honda settles on and the logic is not wrong. Sawada Tsunayoshi is his greatest threat and therefore the sooner he is eliminated the more certain it is that Honda will become universally recognised as god.

"IGNORE THEM, EVERYONE CHARGE, TOWARDS THE BASE" Honda shouts to the violent bunch below him.

The crowd follows the orders of their god, their bloodlust is so strong that it can be felt even upon the cliff yet they hold themselves back and march on the headquarters. Such is the will of their god.

"Just like Tsuna thought, they are just walking past us… but why…" Bana questions.

Tokata gasps as the crowd walks off. "Perhaps this is the human habit he talked about".

Bana shakes his head so as to snap himself out of his state of stupor. Right now he needs to keep to the plan and believe in his boss. "Let's go, we're going to the meeting point right now".

"But we didn't hold them off at all, there's no way they will have finished" Sorata argues as he looks at the army travelling towards their hiding spot.

"We will keep to Tsuna's plan and believe in him" Bana orders as he looks into Sorata's eyes, "Come, we are heading to the meeting point".

 **The Meeting Point**

The meeting point is several miles away from the cliff-edge where Bana decided to take his one shot at his creator. It is just far enough to be classed as safe and yet close enough so the mafia police could get there quickly. It should be understood that the mafia police are an elite group who are all capable of travelling at great speeds.

When the mafia police arrive at the meeting point they are greeted by a trio of people and a duo of cars. The cars are hefty, off-road vehicles which it seems they are going to be using to get away, towards the next camp location.

The trio of people consists of the Mafia's leader, Sawada Tsunayoshi and the two stood either side of him, his resistance manager Ellen and the Varia's mist officer Mammon.

"Why are you two here" Bana asks curiously, "I thought only you were supposed to be meeting us Tsuna".

"I'm here to drive" Ellen comments.

"Me too" adds Mammon.

Lancia sweatdrops, "Your body is that of a young adult you know, are you even qualified to drive?".

 **The Himalayas HQ**

Work is still going on as Gokudera frantically shouts at the engineers around him. Desperation is written all over his face as his orders become more and more erratic and his hand gestures more over-the-top.

The work is no longer an effective and organised effort, it's a mess, a last minute panic. This is something that is truly of detriment as something catches Gokudera's eye.

"EVERYONE RUN, IT'S HONDA".

That same moment the Yakuza boss floats into view, he sees the base below him, the scurrying workers running in all directions. _'That is the base, I have to attack now, kill Tsuna at all costs'_.

After realising that he must attack to avoid Tsuna escaping, Honda punches the air just like he did in his fight against Tsuna all those years ago. Flame gathers on his arm and is sent flying towards the base like a missile. The moment that flame and mountain collide a huge explosion ensues, there is no way that anyone, not Tsuna nor Bana could survive that blow.

 **The Meeting Point**

Bana drops his bow's scope from his eye and reveals an expression of horror to his fellow mafioso. "Everyone… in the HQ… they all died".

Tsuna gently puts his hand on Mammon's shoulder. "Just as planned".

Kyoko whips her head towards her ex, "What do you mean Tsuna?".

 **The Himalayas HQ**

Honda looks down contently at the HQ, aflame, ablaze, burning beneath the flames of the self-proclaimed god. Then this image of death, this image that he considers to be perfect is blocked off by an apparition. A huge face, a smiling face belong to Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"SAWADA… WAS THIS ALL AN ILLUSION?".

The giant head nods slightly. "Bana was real so he convinced you that you were on the right track but you did what I thought you would do, you moved to kill me as quickly as possible. You moved to the base".

"Bana was the distraction while the Varia and I escorted the resistance to a safe location and if not for him convincing you then you might have spotted us".

The head chuckles, "Perhaps you would have noticed if you were a bit more patient but it's like I said, that's human habit. You were so desperate so you decided to ignore Bana".

"So this is all not real" Honda snarls.

"Actually some of it is, the base really is there and you made the right decision to attack, you have destroyed our satellite equipment instead of our people".

"Then this is still my victory" the 'god' proclaims.

The head laughs even louder this time. "Are you stupid?".

"Huh?".

"I must say it was awfully nice of you to attack the base with the strongest Yakuza from the nearby cities".

"What's that supposed to mean" Honda asks as his facial features tighten and his teeth grind together.

"Those cities had satellite stations completely unguarded, they were very easy to take over".

Honda cackles as he shakes his head, "You nearly had me fooled, the satellite controller equipment you guys clearly possess. There is no way you could set it up to move them in time".

"We didn't even need the equipment, we had no need to retreat from the stations as they had no guards, you gave us all the time in the world to move those satellites".

"Now we have 10 satellites, enough for a worldwide resistance movement and we are setting up a new HQ. We will have HQ's in two continents".

"Do you know what put you in checkmate? It's ironic really for someone who claims to have transcended humanity".

"Human Habit".

"Bye" Tsuna casually offers as his giant face disappears from the sky.

He has completely outsmarted his rival.

Honda screams as he punches the air repeatedly, savagely killing all of the Yakuza officers and enforcement officers who have come here with him.

"You think I will be merciful Sawada; I'm not going to let sentimentality stop me from achieving my true status as a god".

"Everyone who doesn't believe in me, will die".

 **3 Months Later, Egypt**

Arabic is a strange language, very difficult to learn for many yet Tsuna is capable of speaking it. Squalo and Ellen also share this trait, they have all experienced the language training of one of the two great organisations, the mafia or the Yakuza.

Despite being in an Egyptian resistance camp Tsuna speaks his native Japanese on the phone in a three way call between himself, the mafia police and the Varia.

"Boss, are you close to another breakthrough" Squalo asks with a smile.

"Yes, I think so, so far I have powered up my sun and thunder elements so I guess the storm will be next" the 10th replies.

"Do you feel much stronger" Haru asks through the phone, still speaking from the Varia HQ despite being a member of the mafia police.

"Not a great deal" Tsuna honestly replies, "But I feel like I am a bit stronger and it feels like my power-ups increase in significance each time".

The various mafioso in on the call all express the heartfelt congratulations. Even should they despise Tsuna they would still be grateful that he is close to making a breakthrough because his strength determines the destiny of all of them.

"It's been a while since I have heard your local reports" Tsuna brings up, "Tell me how you guys are doing".

"We have to be subtle to avoid detection since the Himalayas are on notice" Xanxus answers, "However, we have improved our protocol for hiring people and shared it with the mafia police, we are well entrenched for the long run".

"Good, Bana how about you?".

"We have got a similar setup here but we have less need for subtlety, especially with the wonderful protocols we are getting from our Varia counterparts".

Kyoko adds to her husband's good news. "What's more some of our engineers think they will be able to incorporate video technology into these calls".

"Yes, in a few weeks we will send a prototype to your resistance camp and we will be all set" Bana continues, "We will be able to seriously start preparing for our final assault on Japan".

' _An assault on Japan'_ Tsuna thinks to himself. _'These wonderful people, all the work they have put in just so that I could train to beat Honda…'_.

' _I won't let them down, no matter what, so just like they say. I'm going to start thinking about our final assault'_.

' _Dino and his group will have gone back to Japan, I've heard whispers that the resistance movement there is fighting harder than anywhere else in the world'._

' _Hang on guys, mafia everywhere, people everywhere, I'm coming to save you'_.


	65. Trust

THE NEW WORLD – TRUST

 **South America, The Millefiore Hideout**

After so long of doing nothing Yamamoto has finally begun to act as the Millefiore boss. It has been difficult for many of the Millefiore family to adapt to. Certainly Yamamoto has been the boss of the family for years now but he has never really given them orders, he only became the boss a short while before they went to war and spent every day training back then. Upon the defeat the mafia suffered in the war Yamamoto spent much time meditating next to his sword before he finally came out of seclusion.

Now that Yamamoto has come back to reality, what makes things truly confusing is that he is in charge, his authority greater than that of Yuni and Byakuran, two people who have in the past been the leaders of this group.

There have been many setbacks since the Millefiore tried to establish a resistance, right now they have made no progress at all. Four or five times, Yamamoto has lost count of the times they have set up small resistances only to be betrayed. The Yakuza are too organised.

Right now the group are hiding in the rainforest once again, Yamamoto determined that not only is the wilderness the best place to hide with the least Yakuza influence but it also the best place for him to train. His training has improved as a result of being here, not only is he happier now that Byakuran and Excalibur are alive once more but the constant rain is of great benefit to his dying will flame.

The three most recent Millefiore leaders are sat around a small table, discussing how they are going to attempt to set up a resistance once again. They discuss how to avoid traitors again, how in the long run this could actually make a difference to the world and the most important thing of all, is Sawada Tsunayoshi still alive.

Suddenly the door to the room flies open and a blonde man runs in. This is Ganma, the greatest officer the Millefiore family have outside of the leaders. This man is loyal, strong and does his absolute best each and every day to ensure the prosperity of the mafia and the downfall of the Yakuza.

Ganma's breath is heavy as he leans against the frame of the door, leading Yamamoto to believe that he has been running. "Yamamoto, Byakuran, Yuni, I think we are under attack".

Immediately Byakuran and Yamamoto stand up. "Yamamoto and I will go and have a look" Byakuran declares as he sprouts wings from his back.

The rain guardian of the Vongola smiles faintly as he recalls how a ghostly Byakuran taught him this technique during the battle of the successors. He too sprouts wings and together they run outside and fly into the sky where two people seem to be standing in the air. These are the attackers that Ganma mentioned, clearly they are strong.

Not only are this pair strong but they seem to be Yakuza. An adult man in his early twenties and a girl in her mid-teenage years, that is how the expert Byakuran judges their ages. They both have tattoo's that are indicative of being Yakuza. However, what haunts Yamamoto most of all is a fleeting memory, a memory of the green hair which one of this pair is donning. This is the same man who attacked Tsuna all those years ago.

' _Looking at their tattoos they are almost certainly Yakuza'_ Byakuran quickly determines, _'But I still have to ask them'_.

"Mafia or Yakuza" Byakuran shouts to the duo. This has been a prominent question all over the world since Honda's inception as its leader. The phrase 'Mafia or Yakuza' has come to replace the saying friend or foe meaning different things to different people.

"We are not Yakuza" the man with green hair declares.

Yamamoto doesn't know what to make of that answer, the voice confirmed to him that this man is definitely Kosuke Yaru who attacked Tsuna all those years ago. Was Yaru no longer a member of the Yakuza.

"We are simply travelling the world" the teenager with striking blonde hair declares.

Only one member of the mafia has ever survived a battle involving this girl. The only mafioso in the world who would recognise her is Kozato Enma, for she is the musical genius known as Sakura.

"Yet it seems you are determined to get in our way" Sakura notes as she summons her signature trumpet to her hands.

"So we will fight you" Yaru completes her sentence as he swings his feet.

By swinging his feet Yaru strips the shoes off from them to reveal some skeletal metal beneath, the same boot-like weapon he used in the war. This is destined to be a clash between some of the true heavyweights of the last battle.

Yaru launches himself towards Yamamoto, his speed impressive and beyond what the Millefiore boss expected. It should be remembered of course that Yaru is blessed with great speed due to his great leg strength.

Yamamoto is unintimidated by the incoming attacker. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Byakuran quickly transform, he is no longer a man but is instead a sword. He has transformed into Excalibur. The former baseball player takes hold of Excalibur's hilt and swings it as hard as he can, an ear-splitting noise spreading as the sword and boot collide in mid-air.

As the two collide Sakura thinks back to her younger days. _'This sword style is impressive; I've only ever seen one blade user move so fast'_.

Sakura's thoughts of Kara are interrupted as the collision finally halts. It is something she is not used to, it is not a draw and Yaru did not come out on top. The result of the collision is that Yamamoto drives Yaru back.

' _HE ACTUALLY GOT KNOCKED BACK'_ Sakura screams internally as her eyes widen. It has been years since she has received such a shock.

"Yaru, are you alright" she asks without taking her eyes of Yamamoto and his sword.

"I'll be fine" the elder answers, "But just who is this guy?".

A pause comes about in the fight, Sakura and Yaru take the opportunity to size Yamamoto up. It seems at this point that he is stronger than either of them, only the second blade user in history who could claim such a thing.

Seeing the pause, the sword user extends an offer, "I have no desire to fight you any further, if you are not Yakuza then you go your way and we will go ours".

Yaru smiles as if he is the insider on a joke. "I remember you know, you were at the wedding of Sawada Tsunayoshi, of the Mafia boss all those years ago. I believe you were one of his guardians".

The raven haired mafioso stares at the duo without answering, though his silence is enough for Yaru to assume that the answers is in the affirmative.

"So it is you huh. As a sword user with the power to fight me you are clearly a formidable fighter. Tell me, are you the one who fought Kara all those years ago?".

Yamamoto visibly flinches upon hearing that name. The Vongola's rain guardian has suffered many defeats before though they have always spurred him on to greater heights and nothing truly bad has come of them. Yet losing to Kara was one of the contributory factors to the downfall of the world, how could it not damage him psychologically.

"Kara, the one who wields Clarent right?" Yamamoto asks.

Yaru smiles, "So you are… imagine you being alive after all this time".

Sakura seems uninterested in whatever is amusing the green haired fighter. "Yaru, to kill this guy we may have to team up".

Yaru shakes his head. "No, I don't think we need to concern ourselves with fighting this guy".

Hearing those words causes Yamamoto to loosen his posture slightly. After a few seconds of waiting Byakuran determines these words aren't just to get them to lower their guard and he transforms back into his human form.

"We will just move on and leave them to it" Yaru decides.

"You seriously expect us to believe you're not going to tell the Yakuza about where we are?" Byakuran asks pessimistically. Though it is morbid he considers the option of killing the pair, it certainly seems within their capabilities right now.

"You can believe what you want" Yaru yells.

Sakura tugs on her senior's sleeve much like she used to when the pair were much younger. "Hey, if they don't believe us why not sweeten them on us using that secret".

"Secret?" the green haired fighter looks questioningly and his friend, "Oh that secret, well I doubt they trust enough". He yells the last part as if to coax the mafia into asking. It works.

"I don't know what secret you are talking about but trust or not I would like to hear it" Yamamoto shouts.

"It's not up to you, the choice is ours" Sakura venomously shouts.

"It could be interesting to tell them" Yaru scratches his chin, "Who knows, maybe one day we will be able to stop all the running away".

"Then let me do it" Sakura says, "There is a resistance base somewhere in the USA, if you want you could try finding that".

Yamamoto starts, "A resistance base, does that mean there is a full resistance movement".

"You should see it in Japan, there are suicide bombings nearly every day, of course you never hear that in the news" Yaru drops this bomb on Yamamoto. "The resistance movement there is believed to be led by the Chiavarone family and Hibari Kyoya".

"Dino… Hibari…".

"Still the suicide rate is at an all-time high" Yaru continues, "It's not just because of the bombings, the regime in Japan is horrendous, the slavery, the torture, I wouldn't be surprised if your mafia friends had already killed themselves".

Yamamoto clenches his fists tightly as he thinks about his long term friends. Dino had helped him and his friends greatly as they learnt what it meant to be mafia and Hibari was the strongest of all the guardians before he had become the Millefiore boss. Now they were living through such hardship.

"I think we have given them enough help for now" Sakura notes.

"You're right" Yaru nods, "Bye now, swordsman".

The former Yakuza pair disappear with great speed, some of the men and women of the Millefiore family couldn't even see them move, it just looks like they vanished.

"So" Byakuran turns to his boss, "What do we do with that information".

 **The Egyptian Roads**

The travelling group consisting of Tsuna, Ellen and Squalo are in an old car on the treacherous roads of Egypt. While the rural roads leading to Sudan are not as dangerous as the city roads where three lane roads are driven as if they have five lanes, the danger of the Yakuza is still ever present.

"Voi, you have a smug look on your face boss, did you make a breakthrough" Squalo shouts, as if he is not sat within a meter of the 10th.

"I have enhanced the storm element of my sky flames" Tsuna smiles.

"GOOD GOING".

"That means you have awakened half of them" Ellen says, recalling Gokudera's lectures about the various elements that constitute the sky.

"But there is something more important you have to confirm" Squalo looks Tsuna straight in the eye, "Was your theory correct, was your increase in strength greater than last time".

"Yes" Tsuna confirms the speculation, "Yes it was".

Ellen laughs cheerily at this information. Why wouldn't she, after all this means that by the time Tsuna has strengthened every element of the sky his power will have increased enormously, perhaps he truly will be able to defeat Honda.

"That's the way boss" Squalo declares, "We can do it, we can really do this".

"Of course we can" Ellen takes her turn at shouting, "That was the plan from the beginning, that bastard Honda will die and humanity will rise from the ashes".

"Damn right" the Varia's rain officer nods.

The 10th Vongola boss chuckles to himself, "Calm down guys, we have a long drive to get to the next hideout".

"Who wants to be calm right now boss?" Squalo rhetorically asks, "For the first time it's truly within reach, all we have to do is keep going".

"But it's still the same as before, all we have is hope, hope that it will be enough".

Tsuna looks into the sunny sky as he considers all the stories he has heard of the others. While it seems that Reborn and Basil died in the war Enma has never been confirmed to be dead. It seems that Dino and Hibari went to Japan and that the Vongola guardians may have followed suit.

It is all just speculation though as far as the guardians go. Tsuna feels a moment of heartache as he thinks about them, his little brother, his sworn brother, his wife, it's been so many years. Are any of them still alive and if so what are they like now.


	66. Across the World

**THE NEW WORLD – ACROSS THE WORLD**

 **A Mafia Hideout, Australia**

Australia is a country that defies geography, a country that enjoys relative economic prosperity despite being south of the equator where poverty is far more common. As a result of this the Yakuza presence in this country is quite strong.

Regardless places like this hideout do still exist, although there is no strong resistance movement there is a definite dislike for what these criminal invaders stand for. The hideout in question is the hideout of Kozato Enma and the hideout of the remaining Arcobaleno members.

Enma is swinging his hammer around at an astonishing speed. Sounds like 'whoosh' and 'zoom' are left in the aftermath as air is scattered around the room. Weaker individuals may have actually been pushed back by the air but even Virgo, the weakest of the Arcobaleno is stronger than an average human.

"What is he attempting to do?" Virgo asks as he tilts his head backwards and looks up at the ceiling.

When nobody answers he continues his observations, "It seems to me that he is training more out of frustration than motivation".

"Weren't you paying attention" Skull shakes Virgo violently as he complains, "When he found us here he told us why he is so angry".

Fon shakes his head, "He actually managed to find a few surviving members of the Japanese Military and tried to setup a resistance in New Zealand, they were attacked and he was the only survivor".

Fon is correct, it seems Enma's destiny in this war is that of a sole survivor. After the first battle, Reborn died, Basil died, the Shimon family died, he was then the sole survivor. Enma got lucky enough to find some new friends to set up a resistance with yet just a month ago they were found and all of them died. Now Enma has reunited with the remaining Arcobaleno, if things continue on this path all of the Arcobaleno will also die.

"No good ever came from training out of frustration" Colonello notes before adding his signature "hey".

His wife Lal-Mirch shakes her head. Lal isn't like the remainder of the Arcobaleno, she was only half-cursed and therefore had her adult body returned after Sawada Tsunayoshi demanded the curse was lifted. The result of this means that Lal joins Enma is the only adult in the room while everyone else is in their late teens.

"This isn't training" Lal-Mirch notes, "This is therapy".

Fon watches Enma as if there is nothing else to look at. His eyes become empty as he seems to be gazing into an infinite vortex, it's like his eyes are open just for the sake of being open. Then his pupil's focus intensely in reaction to one of Enma's motions.

"No…" Fon begins, "This is…".

Virgo tilts his head forward to look at his fellow Arcobaleno. "What is the matter with you" he asks.

Fon is staring wide eyed at Enma still, his reaction so extreme that even Enma himself has stopped and focused his eyes on the storm arcobaleno. The martial artist has travelled the world and seen all sorts of fighting techniques before, perhaps he is second only to the deceased Reborn, why is he reacting so dramatically.

"I've only ever seen one person do that" Fon declares as he points at Enma's hammer, "Enma, can you do that motion again please".

"What motion would that be" the Shimon boss asks inquisitively.

Fon grabs a nearby knife and demonstrates a downward slice. "This slice that I'm doing here, you did it with your hammer, please do it again".

Enma holds his gaze on Fon for an additional few seconds, not sure what the storm Arcobaleno is so excited about. Nevertheless, he shakes his head to bring his focus back and picks up his hammer before attempting the slice.

Once the slice is done the red-haired mafioso brings his eyes back to Fon so as to check if he is satisfied.

The martial-artist shakes his head. "No, you followed it by going sideways with a sort of slice and turn motion".

Enma shrugs his shoulders as he recalls what he did, "I don't think I can do that again sorry, I don't really know how I did something so bizarre the first time, this hammer is way too heavy".

The various others present all nod gently to themselves. The motion that Fon is talking about is difficult to do even for experienced sword-masters, Squalo and Yamamoto for example are two people who have mastered it. Expecting that turn to cancel the hammer's vertical momentum is unrealistic.

"Then you need to practice, you need to keep trying and trying again and again" Fon thoroughly tells his junior.

"What has got you so worked up, hey". Colonello is also rather experienced when it comes to fighting style and sees nothing special in what his counterpart is asking of one of the seven great mafioso.

Fon turns to the others before explaining himself. "This technique is called wielding the heavy as if light, only one man has ever mastered it. That was the man I called my master".

A couple of people have heard tails of Fon's master, a strong individual certainly yet Fon himself had surpassed him, so what made this technique so special.

"My master took years to perfect that technique which limited the time he could spend training other areas. As a result, his base strength was low, so can you imagine how strong Enma would be if he, who has already mastered the ultimate flame, could learn this technique".

"God knows how strong he will be" Fon finishes.

Lal-Mirch smiles sarcastically, "Or perhaps not even him".

 **Yakuza HQ, Japan**

This the Yakuza HQ's dining room where Honda has spent the majority of his time. This room is constantly filled with various delicacies and some of the world's finest entertainment is put on for the sake of 'god' in here.

Currently Honda is sat in the room with his most trusted assistant, Kara. The sabre wielder with no discernible reason for following Honda, yet is undyingly loyal towards him. Kara is someone who seems to treat Honda as if he were a god regardless of circumstance, truly his easiest subordinate to manage.

The pair look up as a raven haired Yakuza enters. This is Kosuke Lucy, the increasingly deranged sister of Yaru the traitor. Lucy's hair looks dishevelled and she has a maniacal look in her eyes, something that has gotten worse almost every day since Yaru left. Ironically the brother that Lucy hated so much was perhaps her last means of protection against losing her mind.

"You wanted me god" Lucy calls.

"Ah Lucy you have come" Honda notes as if it is not clear for all to see. "Have you read the reports of these increased amounts of resistance from around the world".

"I have sir" Lucy answers.

Resistance has always been a problem in Japan, mostly from the brilliantly organized group known as the Chiavarone mafia but also for a time from the Vongola guardians. Fortunately for the Yakuza the guardians were rather open about their strategy and couldn't get in touch with the more sophisticated Chiavarone. After one too many fights it appears their efforts are crippled.

"I can tolerate resistance in Japan, it will take a long time for it to go away here" Honda notes as he takes a bite out of some bread, "But I cannot tolerate resistance from the rest of the world".

Honda continues to eat after he explains this to Lucy. The latter holds her position without daring to speak after the former continues until he finishes his bread. The silence that spreads throughout the room is accompanied by an absent expression from Kara, something that puts Lucy more on edge than ever. Lucy despises the look of emptiness from Kara, how could she be so empty when she is almost constantly surrounded by the greatness of god.

Honda finishes his bread, "There was a sighting not too long ago in South America, a sighting of Sakura… and your brother".

Lucy leans forward urgently, "Where is he now sir, you want me to kill him right?".

The Yakuza boss laughs as he notes Lucy's eagerness, she has been trained well he thinks to himself. "It's good that you are eager to kill your treacherous brother but that's not what I am asking you to do".

Kara speaks to Lucy after Honda gestures to her. "The Millefiore were sighted in the rainforest, god wants you to eliminate them all. Fail and you risk punishment".

Upon hearing the mention of punishment Lucy's eyes widen to the extreme before clamping tightly shut. She places her hands on either side of her head as it shakes rapidly from side to side, she would do anything to avoid the cane, she never wanted the feel it's rusty spikes again.

Kara smiles lightly, "Go".

Upon hearing the word Lucy runs out of the room quickly, killing most of the slaves she passes in the corridors for potentially slowing her down, she has to do this quickly, she needs to kill now. She has to kill the Millefiore.

Honda laughs maniacally while he witnesses Lucy scurry out of the room. "Have you prepared the backup".

"It's in place lord god".

Honda laughs once more, "Good, good, you have done well Kara".

 **The Millefiore Hideout, South America**

The four leading members of the Millefiore family sit at a round table, discussing whether or not they should act on the advice given to them by Sakura. It could be a lie, it could be a trap, yet it could not. Byakuran can't help but think to himself, why would two of the strongest Yakuza members bother leading them into a trap, if they couldn't win themselves then there would be almost nothing they could do.

Suddenly the ceiling starts to shake and little sparkling shards start to penetrate through it. The shards are sharp and Yamamoto's eyes widen as he realises what these shards are. These shards are glass, the same sharply cut glass used by Kosuke Lucy when she attacked Tsuna's wedding.

The glass bursts through the ceiling and rains down towards the quartet of mafioso.

"YUNI" Ganma yells as he tackles her to the ground and positions himself between her in the glass.

The glass approaches the couple with alarming speed. Luckily for the Millefiore Byakuran had quickly turned into Excalibur upon seeing the glass. Yamamoto grabs the hilt of Excalibur and swings it just above the heads of Ganma and himself, deflecting the glass and saving the Millefiore's chief members from harm.

"Yuni, are you alright" Ganma asks.

"The family…" Yuni stutters, "The family… are they OK… did anyone survive that attack".

Yamamoto clenches his fist tightly; he doesn't need to go outside to work out the answer to that. Outside screams can be heard, what started as one great long scream decreases in volume and gets quieter and quieter. It's as if the entire Millefiore family cried out in one moment.

"I'm sorry Yuni" he mutters, "It seems I've failed as a boss… the screams should tell you what has happened".

Yuni brings her small hands to her mouth, "Oh my god… we should have left, we should never have trusted those last two".

Yamamoto shakes his head, "No we shouldn't but don't blame yourself Yuni, as the Millefiore boss I should have been the one to make that call… I won't let them get away with this".

Yamamoto sprouts wings from his back and flies up through the glass filled ceiling. He carries Byakuran in his sword form with him. His gaze is intense, his anger clearly telegraphed through his facial expressions.

A voice comes from the sword, "Yamamoto, make her pay won't you, make her pay for hurting our family".

"Yeah".

The words 'our family' hurt Yamamoto greatly. He has spent so many years with the Millefiore family but perhaps never thought of them as family as deeply as he should. He had always protected the Vongola family yet now he had let the Millefiore family down, this truly disgusted the Vongola Rain Guardian and Millefiore boss.

Lucy spies Yamamoto, her true target when she came here. She immediately creates one long beam of glass and fires it towards her opponent. Yamamoto reacts to this by swinging Excalibur at the glass beam, knocking it away before it eventually shatters on collision with the floor.

Lucy sees her attack has failed and dashes to her opponent, she is right next to him. Now that she has the advantage of close range she fires shards of glass at Yamamoto once more. The Millefiore boss throws his sword up into the air before he uses white applause. The defensive technique is difficult to use against this sort of attack; it makes his hands themselves bleed but it works.

Yamamoto looks into the air and catches Excalibur as gravity pulls it back down towards him. He then looks Lucy in the eyes, his own filled with rage. The Yakuza maniac widens her eyes notably before Yamamoto slams his sword into her body, launching her down into the ground with a huge thud.

Before long, Lucy stands back up and screams before she continues to attack Byakuran, her attacks become increasingly frenzied as time progresses.

" _Does this psychic link still work"_ Yamamoto speaks into his own subconscious.

" _Only when I'm in sword form"_ Byakuran replies.

" _This girl though, her attacks are getting more and more berserk constantly"_ the rain guardian declares.

" _Plus with your injured hands your grip has weakened"_ Byakuran, currently being Yamamoto's sword itself, is the most suitable person in the world to make this observation.

" _Yeah, we need to put her away quickly"._

Lucy continues to send attack after attack towards Yamamoto, resisting them is becoming ever more difficult for the swordsman as his hand injury continues to bother him. Suddenly Byakuran turns back into his human form and appears before Yamamoto. The former Millefiore boss begins to use white applause to deflect the attacks.

"Go get routed in" Byakuran yells to his partner.

Realising that Byakuran is referring to a technique he used against Tsuna in the future, Yamamoto nods. The baseball player drops down to the ground and roots begin to sprout left and right from his body. He is preparing for a full force attack.

"BYAKURAN, I'M READY" he shouts.

Byakuran deliberately floats backwards in the air, mimicking as if he is struggling to defend against Lucy's attacks. Truthfully the white haired mafioso is struggling to defend against the attacks, the period of time where he was unable to train has left him behind the great seven mafioso when it comes to strength.

When Byakuran gets driven back so far he suddenly transforms into Excalibur, dropping down until he lands in Yamamoto's hand. Upon catching Byakuran, Yamamoto swings Excalibur as hard as he can, creating a flying sword attack that hits Lucy will full force.

Lucy protects herself with a glass barrier, although the barrier shatters it does largely protect her from damage. She emerges from the shattered glass with the odd fleck of blood on her face, although this is mostly from the shattering of her own glass.

Yamamoto's breath is heavy. "She stood up to that well" he notes as he tips his head to the side.

Byakuran remains in his sword form. "YAMAMOTO, BEHIND YOU".

The baseball player turns on the spot, searching for what his mentor is referring to. He spots it immediately; someone he recognises from the war. The man who fought Xanxus, the crazed Varon.

"HIM",

Varon ignores Yamamoto and grabs two of his weighted balls. The man who has clearly lost his mind throws the balls into the Millefiore hideout with full force, two small explosions happening where the balls hit.

"YUNI… GANMA… dammit" Yamamoto kneels down as he holds his head. "I have to save them… how do I save them…".

"Yamamoto" his sword speaks to him, "They're already gone".

"Don't give me that bullshit" the Millefiore boss yells at the weapon in his hand.

"Don't think this is harder for you than it is for me" Byakuran retorts, "They are my family, I have known them for even longer than you. But right now we have to face up to reality, for the good of the whole world".

Lucy is beginning to compose herself, readying glass for another attack. The situation is currently two on one, it is not looking good for Yamamoto and Byakuran knows it.

"Run, we'll got the United States" Byakuran tells his pupil.

Yamamoto tightly closes his eyes and nods. A tear slips out of one eyelid before he yells to the fallen Millefiore. "I'll avenge you guys… I promise".

With that Yamamoto once more grows wings from his back and flees as fast as he can. He heads North, towards the USA.


	67. My Name is Enma

**THE NEW WORLD – MY NAME IS ENMA**

 **The Yakuza HQ**

Kara is waiting patiently in a sitting room, legs crossed as she reads an old magazine. This sort of behaviour is typical of someone waiting for an appointment at the doctor or the dentist yet she behaves this way while waiting for Lucy. She is waiting for the news that the Millefiore family has fallen.

Kara tucks her blonde hair behind her shoulder as she thinks back to the battle she had with Yamamoto Takeshi. Never since she had obtained Clarent had someone been so close to fighting evenly with her, despite what she said at the time her skill and power were only slightly superior. Back then Kara's greatest advantage was her sabre, the nemesis of Excalibur, Clarent.

Lucy bursts into the room, a childish excitement on her face, "I did it, I did it, I'm not getting punished right?".

Kara smiles devilishly at the arrival of Lucy, "Yeah, you won't be punished this time".

"Now it's time for another job" the sabre user declares as she tosses her magazine onto a nearby table. She could have thrown it on the floor and made a slave clean up after her but her mother had always taught her to be tidy.

"I can't get the cane for this one can I?" Lucy asks, terror on her face and her eyes bolted to Kara.

"You will only get punished if you fail" Kara notes, "Are you going to get the cane Lucy?".

"Never, never again" Lucy declares as she holds her head, "No cane, no cane".

Lucy is getting worse every time it is mentioned, this causes another smile to come to Kara's face. The nearby slaves question if this woman even has morals, what could possibly be her motivation in life.

"Of course not Lucy, you're going to succeed again aren't you?".

"Yeah, I'm going to succeed… going to succeed, I have to succeed… not that pain ever again… no cane".

"No cane" Kara recites with amusement. These two words 'no cane' seem to have become a mantra for Lucy, "The two of us are going to Australia".

Lucy looks at her ally with wide eyes.

"I'm only going as an overseer" the sabre user notes to allay Lucy's surprise, "I'm going to see how well you handle things".

"What do I have to do" Lucy asks.

"You go to Australia, that's where we think Enma went after his resistance movement in New Zealand was crushed, there's no way he could have gone anywhere else. We have the island too well surrounded". Kara looks to make sure that Lucy is still listening, she is. The latter is listening as intently as a child to a bed time story.

"He is in Sydney, we are going there and you will have one week to find Enma" Kara finishes as she looks down her nose at Lucy, "Or else you will get the cane".

"NO CANE" the raven haired Yakuza practically screams, "I will find Enma".

"Good" Kara strokes Lucy's hair patronisingly, "You find Enma and this will all go away".

' _This might go away for you Lucy; it might have if Enma was in Sydney… but I know for a fact that he is in Melbourne… too bad'_.

"Have you got a photo of Enma?" the elder Kosuke sibling asks.

"You must remember what he looks like, after all you fought him all those years ago" Kara notes.

"I don't remember".

' _Well this complicates things, still I have other methods of finding you Enma'_.

 **One Week Later, Sydney**

The sun is scorching in Sydney. The people walk neatly past Kara without saying anything as they notice the Yakuza tattoos she is sporting. Just like the rest of the world, it has become essential in Australia to show the utmost respect for both Yakuza officers and enforcement officers alike.

Kara notices Lucy in the distance and smiles at the mentally deteriorating woman. Currently Lucy is running to and fro between passer's by asking if they have seen Enma. Even had they have seen Enma it is unlikely that they will be able to recall it, Lucy is covered with tattoos that make them absolutely terrified. Unless anyone could answer with details, there is no way they would dare report his presence to the Yakuza.

Kara begins to slowly walk towards her accomplice with a steady pace. The latter noticed the former just as intended causing her to ask people more nosily and desperately. It is only when Kara actually reaches Lucy that she stops becoming scared and instead becomes enraged. The nearest fifty citizens are killed, each and every one of them with their bodies littered in glass.

"You couldn't find him could you Lucy" Kara notes condescendingly.

Lucy's eyes are filled with terror, with horror, it is as if her nightmare has come to life. The Raven haired sister of Yaru drops to her knees as if before god himself. "No cane, please, I'll do anything you ask".

"Get up" Kara harshly demands.

Lucy quickly rises to her feet but dips her head before the sabre user, not daring to look her in the eye.

"You have failed in your mission but your obedience is valued, I will speak up on your behalf" Kara declares.

The glass manipulator hugs Kara tightly. It is like a child hugging the leg of an adult, the hug is full of gratitude, almost full of dependence. It is the hug of someone who is perfectly obedient, almost like a perfect slave.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Lucy repeats over and over again.

"Do you want to know where Enma is?" Kara asks.

Lucy releases her superior and nods firmly, "Still have to kill Enma".

"That's right" Kara chuckles at the poor grammar, "You still have to kill Enma. However, he is not here, he is in Melbourne".

"Melbourne" Lucy looks at Kara with a puzzled expression, "Not Sydney?".

Kara shakes her head, "You should have been able to work this out really. Regardless, you still have uses even if you're not very smart".

Lucy hangs her head in shame, depressed that her superior would talk about her this way. Lucy recalls that she has always tried her hardest to kill god's enemies, to carry out Kara's orders, to do what the Yakuza have required.

"Come on" Kara lifts Lucy's head by her chin, "We're going to Melbourne".

 **Yakuza Hall, Melbourne**

Yakuza Hall, as it had aptly been named, is a centre created in most cities after the Yakuza took over the world. Centres like this often put on propaganda based entertainment centring on god or was used to deliver political news of some kind or another. Today it is being used to gather one-hundred-thousand people, the one-hundred-thousand people who live closest to the centre of Melbourne.

Yakuza Hall is a massive venue, it is capable of hosting one-hundred-thousand and it has been built in every major city around the world, often replacing iconic structures as the centrepiece. It has three tiers, each containing many rows of seats. The seats are made of steal and are tightly bunched together, clearly comfort was not the Yakuza's top priority when they built it.

The gathering today is not voluntary as it usually is, today's gathering is essential, everyone must gather per the orders of the Yakuza themselves. The mayor's office had sent out the invite and Yakuza officers would be killing any they saw disobeying the order, it truly was a must to attend. The only alternative is death.

To remain hidden in the city centre Kozato Enma and the Arcobaleno with him have been forced to come to this event. Although they have been forced to come they may have decided to come themselves anyway, such a high profile Yakuza event, surely something significant is going to happen.

The crowd is quiet, only a few mumbles can be heard as a man walks out onto the stage. Migration has decreased greatly since the dawn of Yakuza rule so most people here have been residents of Melbourne for years. Most people here recognise the man who walks onto the stage as the Mayor of Melbourne.

"I'm sorry to have forced you all to come here, this was not the request of the mayor's office" he begins.

"No, this was a request… a request from god himself, an order from god, a commandment".

Many people in the crowd flinch or shake their heads in a strange way. Hearing a decree from Honda being referred to as a commandment is insulting to their own religion of Christianity. However, nobody dares to voice their discontent, on the surface they have to make it appear as if they accept Honda as their god.

"Apparently our city is harbouring a criminal, a great criminal from the mafia. His name is Kozato Enma".

Enma narrows his eyes as he hears his name announced on the stage. _'They know I am here… how… how could they even track one of the seven great mafioso so accurately'_.

"This Enma is a resistance figure, a terrorist who must be apprehended, so please, if you see anyone suspicious ask them if they are Mafia or Yakuza".

Again many people's hearts clench and their chests tighten as they hear the phrase. Long ago the mafia had been their last hope, they had been brought out of the underworld not as criminals but freedom fighters. The mafia had fought life and limb for them and continue to do so all over the world, yet now they are being insulted right in front of them.

"If anyone has information they must tell the guards because god says that Enma must be killed".

An enforcement officer approaches the Mayor on stage and hands him a card, presumably with some writing on it. This causes the mayor to turn to the officer and yell something as he walks away. After seeing the officer ignore him the Mayor grits his teeth and turns back to the microphone. Once more he addresses his people.

"The guards have left the front door unlocked and I have been given a brief message to give to you".

"If Enma is amongst us, the only way he can save the rest of us from certain death is to head outside now".

"If Enma does not go outside, god will terminate all of us".

The crowd gasps and some of them pray as this news in announced. Unless Enma hands himself in, all of them will die.

' _They would seriously go so far'_ Enma shouts in his head, _'Then I have no choice but to go'_.

Enma rests his palms on the sides of the chair and begins to push himself up. The red-haired mafioso is stopped though, something is pushing down on each hand. He looks side to side to see the source of the push.

The two people stopping him are Colonello and Skull, sat either side of him holding him down.

"I have to do something" Enma whispers.

"What can you do" Lal-Mirch whispers to Enma as she leans on his chin from behind. "The most important thing here is that you don't die".

"You could be the world's last hope for freedom" Virgo adds. The Arcobaleno has never seen eye-to-eye with the rest of the group but is united with them in his hatred of the Yakuza. "Don't throw that away for a single city".

Enma grits his teeth as he wonders to himself. _'What do I do now'_.

 **Outer Melbourne**

Near the outskirts of the city, Lucy and Kara are flying side by side towards the centre at a leisurely pace. The previous night they had ordered the mayor assemble the citizens of inner city and give the speech, after that they went to the outskirts to find a luxury hotel.

Despite Lucy's new status being closer to that of a slave than a Yakuza officer, it is still important for her to keep up appearances. She wears the marks of the Yakuza and therefore should appear as a god in the eyes of normal people.

"You will kill all of them" Lucy asks as Kara has just for the first time told her the plan.

"Of course not" Kara shakes her head, "God would be very angry, how could he be a god without subjects".

"So we only kill Enma outside" Lucy questions, not wanting to kill the wrong person and offend her superior.

"Yes, if you succeed perhaps you won't get the cane".

After Kara suggests she may be able to escape punishment Lucy begins chanting something. Kara doesn't listen too closely but overhears the occasional 'kill Enma' and the odd 'no cane'.

' _Now Enma'_ Kara says in her head as she approaches the city of Melbourne. _'Show yourself to me, to save the city'_.

Kara has full confidence in her plan. There is now way that Enma can chance her not killing everyone and the she knows for a fact that he is one of the more merciful mafioso. Indeed, the Shimon family boss, one of the seven great mafioso would have his hand forced, he would have to take action.

Kara and Lucy arrive outside the hall and the former gasps at the sight she is greeted with.

All one-hundred-thousand citizens are stood outside the hall.

The mayor has a hold of his microphone still, "Yes, I am Enma" he shouts to the flying Yakuza.

"No, I'm Enma" a man shouts, another of the citizens.

Next it is a woman who yells, "No, it's me, I am Enma".

It seems that every last man, woman and child is yelling at the floating duo. When so many people are making the claim to be someone, how could anyone know which one of them it truly is.

"I… I can't just kill all of them" Kara says aloud, "Lucy you should recognise Enma, which one is he".

"So many faces" Lucy murmurs before rapidly shaking her head from side to side, "I don't remember, I don't recognise any of them".

Kara's gaze is drawn once more to the mayor.

"Remember this day Yakuza, I don't care if you kill me".

"But this will be the day remembered as the day when the people of Melbourne said no".

"It will be remembered as the day the people of Melbourne stood boldly and defiantly and said no to your god".

Lucy kills the mayor out of frustration but realises that the others are off limits, that is the only kill she is allowed to make.

"No, No, No, No, No" the citizens of Melbourne stand and chant this repeatedly as if unafraid by the display of power.

' _Enma, you win this round but you won't be escaping Australia, we will increase our guard on the coasts… your power won't be added to the resistance'_ Kara says to herself before she flies away with Lucy.

Fon rests his hand gently on Enma's shoulder as he notices that the Shimon family boss is in tears. Never did he think that so many people would stand up for the mafia who not long ago were known to them as criminals.

' _Everyone, I promise you, I will never forget this because it's my name really'_.

' _My name is Enma'._


	68. Impossible Odds

**THE NEW WORLD – IMPOSSIBLE ODDS**

 **Yakuza HQ**

It is the Yakuza headquarters where Honda is patiently waiting for a variety of things. These things include various of his subordinates to carry out tasks, various of his subordinates arriving, sightings of Yaru and Sakura and of course for Sawada Tsunayoshi to attempt training once more.

Honda is waiting in the dining room as he usually does, the delicacy of today is Italian cuisine, a variety of pasta dishes. _'If there is one good thing to say about the mafia it's that their homeland has good food'_.

Looking out the window has brought an ever changing view for Honda, it has changed all the time ever since he became god. Initially for ease of management the view out of the window was of a horrific slave encampment. He would laugh at this, showing all those around him just what a sick man he was. As the years went on the camp was moved and replaced by various marvellous sculptures, the land terraformed to match the seasons and please 'god's' eyes.

A few faint footsteps can be heard near the entrance to the room. Honda recognises these footsteps as those of an old man. There is only one man in the world who shares Honda's great age, only one man in the world whom he has shared his secret of immortality with. This is the man walking into the room, the second strongest amongst the Yakuza, old man Gon.

"You wanted to see me" Gon points out as he looks at his boss.

At this point it makes Gon sick to his stomach that he still supports Honda despite all of the latter's crimes. Yet Gon still feels that he has a point to prove, not Honda, not to the Mafia and not even to himself. Gon is trying to prove a point to Vongola Primo.

Honda smiles sadistically as he turns to the old man. "Yes, it's time for your favourite job". Sarcasm is thick in his voice as he tosses a long thin object to Gon.

Gon examines the object in his hands, it's been a couple of years since he last saw it used yet he has been made to use it himself many times throughout his life. This is the modified cane Honda has developed over his lifetime, laced with rusty spike designed to peel skin away as it is pulled from its victim's flesh.

"Oh… this" Gon mutters.

Right on schedule two young women enter the room. One of them is very composed with tied blonde hair and well-ordered clothes. This is Kara, who clearly puts great emphasis on presentation.

Gon determines that the young lady with her is to be the victim this time. It is the nearly crazed Lucy. Gon knows that Lucy has just been maintaining her sanity for a long time now, he was heartbroken when Yaru and Sakura left because he truly believes that those two are the only ones who can save Lucy. They are the only ones who could have saved her from going down the same path Varon did all those years ago.

"Lord God, Lucy has tried very hard to carry out your will, can't your spare her the cane" Kara asks. Though the plea sounds considerate and good-hearted it is clear to everyone but Lucy that she cares little whether the punishment is issued or not.

"Well I would like to" Honda begins, "But I've got to give humans their free will, isn't that what makes me a merciful god".

"I suppose so". After acknowledging Honda's sentence Kara turns to Gon with a faint smile, "Then Gon, is punishing Lucy something you have decided with you own free will".

Gon looks into the eyes of Lucy, looking fearfully towards him. He is the kindest man in all of the Yakuza yet he is forced into situations such as this.

The old man sighs, "Yes, it is".

"Very well" Kara steps to the side, leaving Gon with a free path to Lucy.

Gon does as he knows is intended. He approaches Lucy and hits her with the cane, he hits her again and again while doing his best to ignore the blistering screams. He screams to himself internally, this sort of work is damaging to the soul he concludes.

"Come on Gon, that's enough" Honda says with mock concern.

Gon stops hitting Lucy causing the raven-haired Yakuza to immediately run over to Honda and hug him. The fact that she is accepting him as her saviour a clear indication that she has lost all perspective over what is going on.

"You can go now Gon and take that thing with you" Honda says with a flick of his wrist.

As Gon leaves Honda gently strokes Lucy's hair, as if a father tending to his daughter in hospital. "Don't worry Lucy, god looks after all of his subjects, so you just follow god and everything will be alright".

"Follow god… follow god… follow god and everything will be alright".

The self-proclaimed god smiles, "That's right Lucy, god will look after you from now on… you just drift off to sleep".

As if in a trance, Lucy does just that, she drifts off to sleep.

As Honda begins laughing Kara looks down her nose at the sleeping Yakuza. "This is what happened with Varon?".

"Almost exactly, it's quite funny isn't it" Honda answers, "It's funny to watch how a grown woman can fall to this mental state, how can she fall to this level huh?".

"It's amazing how pathetic she is" Kara replies.

The observation is perfectly correct, despite all the strength she possesses, despite all of the years that Lucy lived through poverty and strife she still did not have the mental strength to resist this plan. For those who have never experienced that pain it is hard to understand. Only one man has gone through it without eventually becoming insane, that man is Kosuke Yaru.

Honda's expression turns sour as he thinks to where Kara and Lucy have been. "Speaking of pathetic, what are you doing here before me while the mission is incomplete… go back to Australia, you have some killing to do".

Kara bows her head, "Immediately sir".

 **Arcobaleno Hideout, Melbourne, Australia**

In the Arcobaleno hideout there are only two people currently. This pairing consists of one of the seven great mafioso, the red-haired Shimon family boss Kozato Enma and the martial artist storm Arcobaleno Fon.

The pair are currently engaged in a sparring session. Fon throws a full force punch straight towards Enma, confident that even if the punch were to hit it would be unable to do anything to the mafia boss.

Enma dodges the punch while maintaining a perfect vertical displacement with his hammer. It would seem to an observer that he uses his hammer as a mid-air anchor to control the path of his flight.

Fon throws another punch which misses before Enma starts to swing his hammer before stopping it. This is a perfect dummy, a dummy so perfect that even martial arts legend Fon attempts to dodge sideways.

As Fon loses his footing Enma raises his hammer high into the air and swings it downwards as hard as he can, there is no disputing that this is going to hit Fon.

Fon tightly closes his eyes as he prepares for the impact of the hammer but it never comes. He opens his eyes once more and looks around, Enma managed to stop heavy weapon just an inch short of his head.

"You… you've got it" Fon notes excitedly as he offers a bow to Enma, "Not only were you comfortably throwing feints but you also have the ability to wield the hammer effortlessly and stop it at the last minute".

Fon makes a few more observations, noting how Enma could improve his posture here and how he could hide habits in his body language there but the two smiles throughout the conversation. It seems all is going well.

"So…. Did I do it?" Enma asks as Fon finishes his observations.

The storm Arcobaleno gently nods, "Yes, this is, this is wielding the heavy as if light".

Enma smiles widely, the greatest smile he has had since the war started. This is a huge breakthrough for him, an enormous step forward for the world itself. The Shimon family boss celebrates by doing a brief flurry, it serves no purpose other than showing off however there is not another in the world who could do it with such skill and finesse as himself.

"This is progress but it comes during a dark time" Fon frowns.

"The plan is ready, hey". At that moment Colonello and his wife Lal-Mirch enter.

"What plan" Enma asks with wide eyes, he is technically the highest ranking mafioso here, he should be aware of any plans.

Fon answers on behalf of the Arcobaleno, "Enma, we're leaving for Africa, there is a truck waiting for us outside".

Enma momentarily questions the need to leave but then recalls the central Melbourne assembly and nods. Remaining here is not only a danger to himself but also to the Arcobaleno and the population of Melbourne, leaving is essential.

 **A Port, Northern Australia**

Here is where the Arcobaleno have planned to steal a boat. One of the lesser guarded ports on the northern border of Australia. Fighting through the guards is still necessary but is not difficult for such elite fighters. One of the great seven is among them, there are very few left within the Yakuza who could deal with them.

After fighting through the guards Enma hops onto the boat. He treads carefully as the night sky makes it difficult to see even with the light from the stars and the moon. The boat is small, it will be hard to fit so many on it but minus Lal-Mirch they are all below average human size, it is doable.

"Come on guys" Enma says as he turns to those standing on dry land.

Virgo hops onto the boat with Enma and starts the engine, "The others won't be coming with us".

Enma looks at Virgo and hangs his gaze there for a few seconds before shaking his head. "What… what are you talking about, not coming, of course you are".

Enma looks at the Arcobaleno on the land. Skull, Fon, Colonello, Lal-Mirch, not a single one of them shows any sign of moving. The Shimon family boss looks at them with an ever saddening gaze, if nothing else trying to guilt them into coming with him. If there is one thing he cannot bare it's losing even more friends.

"I need you guys to help me start another resistance movement" the mafia boss proclaims.

"We're needed here, hey" argues Colonello.

Lal-Mirch draws her weapon, "We have to cover your escape".

Without any warning the boat begins to drift away from the port. Enma quickly flicks his head around to confirm that Virgo is steering him away. "You guys…".

"Go Enma, the resistance is your destiny, not ours" Skull declares.

Enma tightly clenches his fists and grinds his teeth, leaving even more people behind is unbearable yet as far as he knows he may be the last of the great seven, the last hope for the world. He would rather die yet fate has forced him into this cruel situation, where saving everyone is not his choice but his duty.

"I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, ANY OF YOU".

Fon smiles, he knows Enma can't hear him as he speaks under his breath, "Go, your destiny is to finish this war, to go avenge Reborn and your family… we don't need revenge yet".

The Arcobaleno watch as Virgo takes Enma out of range. Colonello then turns around to face the mainland and takes a deep breath, using his gun's sights he has the greatest eyesight of the Arcobaleno.

"Here she comes, hey".

The she in question is the she who Honda ordered come here and resolve her failures, the she who has been ordered to kill Enma, the she who is the most mysterious amongst the Yakuza. The she in question is Kara, the one who wields Clarent, the one who defeated Yamamoto.

The flying Yakuza descends and lands before the group of four. "The spy did his job, so there is something I want to know before I kill you, which one of you is Enma".

Colonello doesn't satisfy Kara with an answer. "FIRE" he shouts.

All four of the Arcobaleno prepare their greatest ranged attacks and fire simultaneously. Four dying will flames combine in a brilliant combination of multi-coloured light, a small explosion engulfs Kara and some containers, this is the greatest attack the foursome can muster.

Despite the powerful attack Kara emerges with Clarent in hand, she is completely unharmed. This brings a huge shock to the doors of the Arcobaleno, how could Yamamoto have ever competed against anyone so strong, just how strong are the great seven mafioso, just how strong are the Yakuza.

"A pity" Kara decides, "I would have been interested to know".

After this declaration Kara raises her sabre high into the air, dark energy gathers on it. This is the darkness to Excalibur's light, the Ying to Excalibur's Yang and the evil to Excalibur's good.

As the four stand open mouthed at the power gathering before them Colonello is the first to move. He walks to Skull's rear and places his hands on the cloud Arcobaleno's shoulders.

The others look at him and he answers their looks, "Come on, let's combine our flames and gift them to Skull, we need to prepare our greatest defence".

Lal-Mirch's eyes are moist at this point, she knows that she will die but nods anyway. This is the defiance they are obligated to show; the defiance they must possess even when faced down by the Yakuza.

Lal-Mirch stands behind her husband and places her hands on his shoulders, Fon then follows suit and stands at the back of the quartet, placing his hands on Lal-Mirch shoulders. The Arcobaleno begin to ignite their multi-coloured flames and gift them to Skull. This is the ultimate defence they have against a head-on attack.

"We are going to show you why we were chosen all those years ago, hey" Colonello declares, "We've come so far that we will never die… we will forever live on in the dying will flame".

Kara ignores the emotional speech and sends her strongest flying sword attack towards the Arcobaleno, engulfing them in an explosion and a sea of flames.

 **The Boat, Off Shore**

Enma watches as the explosion engulfs the port, had he stayed and fought he may have been able to stop that woman. He is after all one of the great seven mafioso, he has improved since the last time and yet the Arcobaleno didn't want to take a chance. Once more Arcobaleno have sacrificed themselves for him.

Seeing Enma's despair Virgo offers him some words. "They will be fine Enma, they have lived long enough to learn how to survive impossible odds".

Enma looks into the distance, the flames have still yet to disappear, something that causes him to doubt Virgo's words. He nods though, as if acknowledging the possibility will somehow make him feel better.

"Get some sleep, it will be a long journey before we reach South Africa".

"Yeah… sleep". Upon hearing the suggestion, the Shimon family boss realises how tired he is. He closes his eyes and immediately falls to sleep.


	69. I'm on TV

**THE NEW WORLD – I'M ON TV**

 **A Resistance Hideout, Ghana**

The latest resistance hideout settled upon by Tsuna, Squalo and Ellen is here in Ghana. The environment is treacherous this time of year but it is also ideal for hiding from the Yakuza. Africa is perhaps the best continent for hiding, it is the least developed and therefore is the most difficult in terms of administration.

While Tsuna begins to go into his ultimate form Ellen is sat in the driver seat of a nearby car, Squalo to the side of her in the passenger seat. Most people would be astonished by the shear quality of powerful flame spawning nearby but this duo have stood by it so many times now. They have spent more time in recent years with Tsuna than they have their own family.

Ellen looks over her maps one last time, checking for the best escape route to head North. The direction she knows they intend to go after this training session. She then throws the map onto the back seat as she is done.

"So, where are we headed next" she asks Squalo while checking on Tsuna's position in her mirror.

"It's back to Europe" the rain officer says, "I think it's Southern Europe, Spain I believe".

Ellen sighs, not a depressed sigh or frustrated sigh but an exhausted sigh. "I bet that Spain is nice this time of year".

Fantasies run through Ellen's head, fantasies of one-day holidaying in Spain when this is all over. Taking a holiday in the baking hot sun and heading down to the bar each night for a nice cocktail.

Squalo snickers as he realises what Ellen is thinking. "I wouldn't bet on a holiday while you're there".

The rain officer then thinks about what he will do when the war is over, assuming the mafia win. It is unlikely that there will be many more assassinations required but perhaps the mafia would begin to act more like a police force. Or maybe they would be made into an international aid group, a lot of good could be done by people with supernatural powers, especially in the most impoverished areas in the world.

Squalo's eyes close for a moment while he dreams of using his skills to help people instead of kill people. He smiles as he thinks that his sword skills may get a bit rusty, perhaps Yamamoto is still alive, perhaps he would be willing to practice with him from time to time.

Then Squalo's eyes open in an instant. "I… I can feel it".

"Feel what?" Ellen asks.

"He's broken through… I feel the rain element coming strongly from him".

The pair in the car look out the right side window and see Tsuna running towards them. The Vongola boss slides down a slope as dust follows in his wake. He jumps into the car without bothering to dust himself and leaps onto the back seat, ignoring the map as he does so.

Tsuna slams the door shut, "GO".

The tires of the car skid as Ellen lets the clutch out and slams on the accelerator but it eventually pulls away, by the time Honda arrives they would be long gone. The three occupants of the vehicle hold their tongues for a while as they travel to North, they maintain their silence until they reach, what Squalo deems to be, a safe distance.

"I can feel it boss" he says with a toothy grin, "Your rain element strength has increased, it's shining through".

Squalo smiles as he continues, "It's something to behold for those of us who share that element".

Tsuna returns the smile and nods, "Yes, I have indeed broken through in the rain element, the circle is not split into quarters, one yellow, one green, one red and one blue".

The 10th continues, "Now all that's left is mist and cloud… just mist and cloud to go".

"Mist and cloud" Ellen repeats as she drives along, happy now that they are 2/3 of the way done. "Not much of that in Spain".

Squalo laughs at his comrade's weather predictions, "Voi, perhaps it will be a holiday after all".

 **Las Vegas, USA**

It's night time in Las Vegas yet the city is still bright. This is one of the few major cities in the world that has avoided the curfew imposed by the Yakuza, the flow of money in the gambling capital of the world is important for them to control. This city has a great effect on the economy.

Yamamoto and Byakuran walk along the streets at night, watching as people drink excessively and lose all of their money on stupid games. It may seem trivial but have they got anything else to live for under the dictatorial reign of the Yakuza.

Yamamoto continues to look at the faces of people as they walk by, copying a trick used by Vongola Bana, he focuses dying will flames on his eyes in the hope that he will see something important.

It doesn't work though, "It's no good, we can't find them" Yamamoto concludes.

"Yeah, perhaps we have to start using our heads a bit more" Byakuran concurs as he looks between the passers-by.

The Millefiore boss shakes his head, "Thinking has never been my strong point". He recalls when he first became friends with Tsuna and Gokudera, god knows what they must have thought when Yamamoto claimed that it was all a Mafia game.

Byakuran looks over to the smiling Vongola-Millefiore member, wondering what he is thinking about. "Then what is your strong point Yamamoto" he asks this bringing the boss back to attention.

"I'm good at making sushi, swordplay and baseball" he answers. His heart tightens slightly as he thinks about sushi, his father is probably dead now. Someone who taught Yamamoto his signature sword-style, someone strong enough to stand up to the Yakuza but too weak to win. Yes, he is almost certainly dead.

"Baseball huh" Byakuran mulls over the word, "I wonder if baseball is still played here in the USA". The USA is one of the few countries in the world that can claim to have a better baseball set up than Japan where Yamamoto became the star player.

"Are you a fan?" the player asks his mentor.

"Well I wasn't but then I watched every one of the games one season, I picked up a thing or two about Japanese baseball".

Yamamoto scratches the back of his head, "Sorry about that".

"Don't be, I quite enjoyed it after I got to know the rules" the former Millefiore boss replies.

"We're pretty close aren't we" Yamamoto turns to his friend and places a hand on his shoulder.

Byakuran closes his eyes and tilts his head, "We couldn't get much closer".

"Not unless you want to get married" the rain guardian replies with a laugh.

"Want to try it?" Byakuran joins in the laughter.

"We could do one of those funny ceremonies, they do those here in Vegas right?".

"We can do it with whatever ceremony you want" the white haired mafioso replies.

Yamamoto looks at Byakuran with a blush. He's not sure whether or not his predecessor as Millefiore boss is serious and doesn't know how to react. "I… uh…".

Byakuran laughs once more, "You're you getting all flustered so I'll tell you what". He offers his little finger to his comrade, "We'll do it once we've taken down the Yakuza, right?".

Yamamoto looks at Byakuran and then smiles and locks their little fingers together in a 'pinkie promise', "You've got it".

"Good, that's nice" Byakuran smiles, "Also, your baseball comments have given me an idea".

 **The New York Hideout**

Vongola Bana is sat in the New York resistance hideout, tapping the laptop in front of him. Bana has never had time to learn about technology such as this and finds it very frustrating when it doesn't work. His role as leader of the New York resistance has involved little other than technological challenges and archery training, two things which are very repetitive and after a while very boring to the clone of Primo.

"Please be patient boss, I will get it working" an engineer assures Bana as she continues to mess with some cables coming out of the laptop.

Bana knows this engineer personally now, she always shows up early after her work day is done and she is always late to leave. She gives one hundred percent effort each time she walks in the building.

The chief policeman smiles at her, "I'm sorry, video communication just makes me a bit edgy you know".

"I know, it's a big step forward and it's taking longer than it should" she replies, "But I promise we are close now, just wait a little longer".

Bana nods as he observes what the engineer is doing. He feels he should at least take this opportunity to learn about technology, it's something he would need a good understanding of in future should they win the war.

Nearby the mafia police who work under him are watching a TV intently, who would have thought the resistance would have people who are so strong doing such menial work. Not too many years ago these people were fighting to become the Vongola guardians, the leading group in the Mafia.

"Can you turn that TV down" Bana calls, "We don't need to watch baseball at a time like this".

"Oh come on" Kyoko whines to her husband, "We had a friend who played this game".

"Well it wasn't in the US" Bana comments. What he fails to realise is that generally the standard of baseball is higher in the USA than it is in Japan.

Seeing that his subordinates are unperturbed by his comments Bana approaches the TV with the intention to turn it off. He is far too grumpy to argue with these guys today, especially when someone as argumentative as his wife is involved.

The commentators on the TV make an announcement. "And a guest batter is batting for the home team today, a world famous batter from Japan".

Sorata rises from his seat and points to the TV, "IT'S HIM".

"WHAT" Bana exclaims.

"It can't be" Kyoko mutters, "This must be a trick".

What has catches the eye of the mafia police is the guest batter that the commentators mentioned. It is the Millefiore family boss, one of the seven great mafioso, Yamamoto Takeshi.

As the ball is pitched towards Yamamoto he hits it with what seems like a casual posture. Despite the lackadaisical attempt the ball flies out of the park, it is a home run.

Bana throws his arms in the air, "Well that confirms it, it must be him".

"That idiot" Kyoko scolds Yamamoto from the other side of the country, "What does he think he is doing on TV".

"It's a come get me signal" Bana realises as he points at the TV, "I have to go and get him".

Kyoko stands up as Bana begins to walk away, "They will want to guarantee his defeat, so they will either send Honda or Gon and they can both beat you".

"Trust me Kyoko" Bana says before gently kissing her forehead.

"Tokata, I need you to come with me, I need your help".

Bana continues, "We will get in and out without any casualties".

"Yes sir" the knife enthusiast replies.


	70. Four of the Seven

**THE NEW WORLD – FOUR OF THE SEVEN**

 **The Baseball Stadium, Las Vegas**

The crowd is electric and roars its approval at the home run. Stories of Yamamoto Takeshi's success had little time to reach America before the world was taken by the Yakuza. Still now that they have witnessed it they are forced to believe in the ability of the Japanese star. It is not just because of the lower pitching quality; Yamamoto perhaps is the greatest batter in the world.

The dark haired Japanese batter walks slowly back to the dugout, waving politely at all the cheering fans. Never in Japan would a crowd cheer this loudly, it is a different culture, one of polite respectful applause and the other of thunderous euphoric applause.

Yamamoto sits down in the dugout and leans back with a relaxed posture, despite the speed with which he just ran he doesn't seem exhausted at all. The players all stare at him with awe, he just displayed such an impressive feat yet he is acting like it is nothing.

"Nice job, no wonder you made it big in Japan" the batter next to him compliments the star.

"Thanks" Yamamoto replies as he picks his bag up from the floor.

"What's in there, another bat" the batter asks with a suspicious look on his face.

The Millefiore boss smiles to his co-worker, "I always keep a spare".

What is actually inside the bag is as many who know Yamamoto would suspect. What is in the bag is his greatest weapon, the sword Excalibur.

" _You know I'm not claustrophobic usually"_ the sword-human begins, _"But I do object to being kept in a cheap gym bag"._

Yamamoto laughs at Byakuran's protests drawing funny looks from his team as he does so. He apologises but continues to reflect on the situation. Currently in this cheap gym bag is the sword Excalibur which happens to be a person. That person is no ordinary person, that person is perhaps the strongest mafioso outside of the great seven. Yet such an important person, one of the great hopes of the world, is being ferried around as if he were a household object.

" _Oh pipe down"_ Yamamoto finally replies to his mentor.

Suddenly Yamamoto's thoughts are interrupted, he doesn't know why his gaze is drawn to the stadium's roof but it is. It could be a change in the wind, it could have been some sixth sense or it could have been something Byakuran felt and warned him about subconsciously but to the roof is where he looks.

Upon looking to the roof the rain guardian spots the worst thing that could appear. It is one of the two Yakuza members he truly fears at this point, he recognises the energy and remembers it from the day of the war. This is the man who fought Vongola Bana.

Seeing Gon stood atop the roof of the stadium spurs Yamamoto to take action, he reaches into his gym bag and grabs Excalibur by the hilt, pulling it out and bringing a wonderful golden light with it.

' _Just follow your orders'_ Gon says to himself before he throws a dart down towards Yamamoto with alarming speed. That is definitely the man that Kara pointed out, the one who wields Excalibur, the one who she fought that day.

Yamamoto replies to the attack by swinging his sword at the dart. The two collide mid-air and naturally the sword gets the better of the impact. Of course for people of such strength a melee weapon usually overcomes a ranged weapon. The victory is small however, the dart is deflected greatly but the sword is by a bit as well, this means that Byakuran slips from Yamamoto's hand.

Byakuran immediately begins to float back towards Yamamoto's hand when his momentum ceases and the Millefiore boss stretches his hand to reach the sword. It is too late though, Gon has already thrown another dart.

' _We won't make it'_ the Millefiore couple conclude.

The dart bears down on them with alarming speed, Yamamoto and Byakuran put their all into reuniting as quickly as possible but it is impossible to defeat the speed of that ranged weapon. This is after all one of the Yakuza's strongest warriors.

Yamamoto waits a few moments and is stunned, the dart never hits him but he hears a huge bang. Finally, he grabs the hilt of Excalibur and turns around, slowly falling under the force of earth's gravity are two objects. One of them is a dart, the other an arrow.

Before the 10th generation rain guardian can process what is happening before him a familiar face appears next to him. It's the knife enthusiast from the battle of the successors, the man obsessed with strength who shares a flame with Lambo, Tokata of the mafia police.

Tokata grabs hold of Yamamoto's shoulders and places his hand on the blade of Excalibur. He uses his power of teleportation and disappears along with Yamamoto and Byakuran, he uses his power to escape.

Gon astonished with what has just happened before raises his head to look to the opposite side of the stadium. There facing him is the face that he thinks of every day, the face he is trying to prove something to, the face of Vongola Primo. This is Vongola Bana.

Bana and Gon's gazes intersect and they sense each other's power, they have both grown since that day all those years ago.

Gon not daring to waste time throws a dart towards Vongola Bana, if he could kill this opponent it would be an even greater coup for the Yakuza than killing Yamamoto Takeshi.

Before the dart can reach Bana the chief policeman of the mafia smiles and mouths something to Gon. The latter is confused for a moment before everything becomes clear. A smoke grenade explodes next to Bana. The dart that has already been launched flies into the smoke but seems to hit nothing, for when the smoke disappears Vongola Bana is gone.

The mafia police have made their escape.

"He got away? I didn't expect him to run from a rematch" Gon notes as he sits crossed leg on the roof of the stadium, "He is the sensible type, just like you Primo".

Gon raises his eyes to the sky, his wispy grey hair flowing with the wind. "I guess that makes this round my loss huh".

 **The New York Hideout**

The various mafioso involved in the baseball stadium incident have all successfully returned. The plan was completely ridiculous in retrospect, actively appearing before the Yakuza was a very dangerous thing to do, tantamount to suicide in the eyes of some. Despite the impossible odds the plan has worked, nobody was harmed an everyone is back safely.

Byakuran finally turns back into his human form, drawing surprised looks from everyone but Yamamoto. The aforementioned Millefiore boss looks at his predecessor with an irritated expression.

Byakuran looks at Yamamoto for a few seconds, taking in the look of irritation on his face before he eventually closes his eyes and laughs. "Well at least the plan worked out well right".

Yamamoto can't help but smile as he shakes his head at the white-haired mafioso. ' _Just because the plan worked out well doesn't necessarily mean it was a good idea, there must have been subtler ways to do all of this_ '.

Byakuran then takes his gaze away from Yamamoto and looks at the blonde haired leader of the mafia police. The two lock eyes for a good few moments, the latter confused about exactly why he is getting such a venomous look.

Then he remembers, "I uh… I am… I am very sorry for killing you Mr Byakuran".

Byakuran's frown persists. It is the death of Byakuran and the report from Xanxus that truly alerted Sawada Tsunayoshi and the Vongola guardians of the threat that Bana posed. Bana back then was supposed to keep the Mafia in Italy on behalf of the Yakuza, perhaps the world would have been better off if he did or perhaps his evil side would have taken over.

Byakuran decides there is no point holding a grudge or second guessing what happened, "Well I suppose it's a start, right Yamamoto".

"Right" the rain guardian nods, "Still I can't believe you're alive though, Bana, Kyoko, Sorata, Tokata, you're alive and well… and Lancia, you're here too".

"This is all fantastic".

"Is Yuni OK, is she safe" Kyoko asks. It is during the battle against Byakuran when Kyoko travelled to the future with the Vongola guardians, there she befriended Yuni and they became truly close with one another.

"She… she and Ganma didn't make it" Yamamoto answers.

"Yamamoto, Byakuran, I'm really sorry" Kyoko replies. Although she herself is upset about the loss of Yuni she realises it must be a lot harder for these two powerhouses. They would have felt a duty of care, a duty to protect Yuni and they would have failed.

"It's alright" Yamamoto holds his hand up to dismiss the sad tone of conversation, "We will make the Yakuza pay right".

Kyoko smiles at Yamamoto, he has always been the positive one in the Vongola family. She simply nods in agreement.

"I have some news that will truly put a smile on your face though" Bana promises as he places his arm around the shoulders of the Millefiore couple.

"What is it?" Byakuran asks.

"Please tell us" Yamamoto adds.

"We have contact with another resistance base in the Himalayas, as well as that we are in constant contact with another group that is constantly on the run, constantly improving a technique to use against the Yakuza".

"What technique" Byakuran asks, already filled with hopes that he knows the answer.

"The technique is the zero-point breakthrough" Bana begins, "It is as you expect Sawada Tsunayoshi is the master of the technique".

Yamamoto's breath quickens, "Do you mean… that after all this time he is really…".

"Yes, we have confirmed that both the Varia Leader Xanxus and the Vongola Boss Sawada Tsunayoshi are both alive".

Yamamoto and Byakuran both free themselves from Bana's grip and hug each other emotionally. It has been so long not knowing whether there was someone who could stand up to the Yakuza, now after so many years they have the news they wanted, Tsuna is alive.

"You know what this means right, I only felt Basil and Reborn die that die, that means that of the surviving five, we have gathered, Tsuna, Xanxus you and I, that's four of the seven" Bana works out.

"We can prepare for a serious attack on Japan" Bana raises his fist and clenches it.

"This is amazing, it's better than we ever dreamed in South America" Yamamoto concludes.

"To be able to tell people we are so nearly ready, that is a dream, if I died now I would die a happy man".

 **Cape Town, South Africa**

Virgo and Enma are hidden in an old house, clearly abandoned for some years now. It is likely that it was abandoned just days before the war between Mafia and Yakuza, it seems the people of this household were religious and likely went to a place of worship.

Enma considers how terrible the loss of the war must have been for people such as these. Religious buildings and sites were destroyed following the war, nothing was to be allowed in opposition to 'god' as Honda was proclaiming himself. That was truly horrible, things like religion and culture are things that rulers should never be allowed to control.

Virgo messes with some dials on his electrical setup.

"Is this seriously the time to be playing around Mr Virgo" Enma asks respectfully.

"I am not playing around" Virgo snaps at the Shimon family boss, "I am monitoring communications traffic".

Enma starts and walks over to the Thunder Arcobaleno, "Are you hoping we can find some Yakuza secrets?".

"That would be good but it's not what I am hoping for" the scientist replies.

"What do you mean?".

Virgo swivels his chair around to face Enma, clearly preparing to deliver a long explanation.

"One thing I found out a while ago, several satellites moved out of position".

"It's strange and is unnecessary for the Yakuza, there is only one reason I could see for moving satellites. That is to disguise their location".

"Why would the Yakuza want to do that?" Virgo asks rhetorically.

"What are you getting at" Enma questions.

"What if it the Yakuza didn't move them at all, what if it was…" Virgo starts before he hits a button.

As the screen before the pair kicks into life a split screen appears before them. The screen is split vertically with one group on the left and another on the right. Enma's mouth drops open as the familiar faces of Xanxus and Bana come into view.

Virgo smiles. "It's the mafia".

Enma smiles widely as a third familiar face appears on the screen, the face he has been desperate to see. "It's them… it's really them… TSUNA".

"They can't hear you" Virgo shakes his head, "But I admit I share your elation, Sawada Tsunayoshi is really alive".

"Yamamoto, you're really alive, that's fantastic, I'm so happy" Tsuna smiles.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same for Yuni and Ganma" the rain guardian begins but a smiles soon comes to his face, "However there is some good news".

"BOO" Byakuran jumps into the picture, not willing to waste the ironic opportunity to claim people looked like they had seen a ghost.

The reaction disappoints him, "How the hell is that one alive?" Xanxus asks.

Byakuran laughs it off though, "IT's good to see you to Xanxus, I seem to recall you didn't help much when Bana killed me".

Xanxus doesn't know how to react to that. It is true that all those years ago he didn't assist Byakuran in the fight against Bana, though if he had it may have changed the fate of the world greatly.

"Yeah, there is no need to be rude Xanxus" Tsuna joins the American group in teasing the Varia leader.

"I would join them in reprimanding you but I am the last who should be doing so" Bana smiles wryly as he looks out the corner of his eyes away from Byakuran.

"That's right, you should be begging for forgiveness" Byakuran points out, "Get on your knees".

"We can do all that stuff later, Tsuna, is it true that you are improving the zero-point breakthrough?" Yamamoto asks, eager for confirmation that they may truly win this war they are fighting.

"It is, it's true and step by step I am powering up the different elements under the sky".

Xanxus finally lifts his head from his hands, "Oh boss, how far have you gotten".

Squalo leaps in from Tsuna's side, "Voi, can't you feel it, he only has the cloud flame left to go, after that we can focus on Japan".

Tsuna nods to the screen, "Rest assured Yamamoto, Byakuran, this really is happening".

"In that case I will prepare to move those who control the dying will flame to the Himalayas Base" Bana declares with crossed arms. He quickly determined it would be necessary to unite the four greatest warriors they have before fighting the most important battle in history.

"OK, I will master the cloud aspect of the sky flame then I will meet you all there. We will finally be able to focus on Japan".

After Tsuna finishes speaking the screen goes black, Virgo and Enma can no longer see the faces of their long lost allies. Still the duo is not disheartened, this is the greatest bit of news they have received in years.

"The Himalayas" Enma mutters, "Mr Virgo, is there any way you can find out more".

"It won't be easy" Virgo shows a concerned expression to Enma causing the latter to adopt one of his own. The Arcobaleno counters this by quickly smiling again, "But… well who do you think I am".

"I will provide you with anything you ask me to, do anything you ask me to, just get me there so that we can join the fight".

"Because this whole thing… it's reaching a climax".


	71. The Birth of the Rainbow

**THE NEW WORLD – THE BIRTH OF THE RAINBOW**

 **A Resistance Hideout, Saudi Arabia**

The sand in Saudi Arabia is difficult to walk on at this time of year, especially for those unaccustomed to it like Sawada Tsunayoshi's group, yet this is where they find themselves, in one of the hottest places on earth in the middle of the day. It wouldn't be difficult for the highly powered Tsuna and Squalo to overcome these difficulties but for Ellen it is much more tricky

The resistance members they gathered have long since disappeared, all that remains is a car and the three of them, stood in position, waiting for Tsuna to begin. There is a tension in the air, something that tells Squalo a storm is coming, this doesn't take away from his excitement though, he can't remove the smile from his face as he looks at the boss.

"You two should really be in the car, ready to go" Tsuna points out with a smile on his face.

Usually he is right, at a time like this Squalo and Ellen would be in the front of the vehicle with the engine prepared, ready to leave as soon as he is done. Yet this time is different, special.

"And miss this moment?" Squalo asks.

Tsuna shakes his head, "We don't even know it will be this time".

What they refer to is the breakthrough in the cloud element of the sky flame he uses, the final breakthrough he has been training for all these years, the breakthrough that would signal the coming of the final battle.

Even Ellen has a smile written on her face, the calm and serious resistance manager can't help but show her excitement. "Oh come on boss, we can feel it in the air, this is going to be special".

Tsuna once more shakes his head, as if trying to focus himself, to shake the smile from his mouth. Finally, he manages to calm himself down as he cups his hands together, the pose for the zero-point breakthrough.

"OK then, here we go".

Tsuna activates his ultimate dying will mode.

 **Yakuza HQ**

Honda is in bed at the moment but is quickly woken up by the tingling sensation he gets when true power shows itself. He sits up and looks out the window before smiling.

' _I can do this forever if I need to Sawada'._

Honda does what he has done many times since the end of the war. Without regard for the structure he is contained by he flies out of the window at great speed. He heads towards Sawada with one thought on his mind, kill, kill, kill!

 **Saudi Arabia**

Before Tsuna's hands the hollow circular sky flame appears, the same one that appeared the first time he upgraded an element and has appeared every time he has willed it since. Slowly but surely the flames begin to fill the hollow epicentre.

First is the sun flame.

Second the thunder flame.

Third the storm flame.

Fourth the rain flame.

Fifth the mist flame.

Then slowly but surely a deep blue flame begins to form in the centre, expanding until it occupies one fifth of the circle. Tsuna has improved his cloud flame.

"IT'S HERE" Squalo yells, unable to hold himself back.

"What will happen" Ellen joins him.

Suddenly the six flames from the centre of the circle begin to seep into the ultimate flame itself, it is as if they are merging with Tsuna's aura itself. The colour of the flame begins to change, not to a single colour but to six individual and distinct colours.

The ultimate dying will flame became is no longer orange.

The dying will flame is rainbow coloured.

 **The Sky Above Russia**

Honda is heading towards Tsuna, eager as ever to kill his nemesis, to the last man who could possible oppose him. Something is different this time however, this causes him to stop.

Honda looks eyes wide open into the distance, "This… what is this power… that can't be him".

The self-proclaimed god continues to look towards the source of the power.

"This isn't possible".

 **The Atlantic Ocean**

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean are the mafia police, Yamamoto and Byakuran. All of these great warriors are capable of walking on water and therefore decided not to bother with a boat for the crossing, they decided it would be better to avoid detection by walking.

Byakuran stops at the head of the group and looks to the east. "What the hell is this… could it possibly be…".

Yamamoto stops and nods to Byakuran. "I can feel it clear as day now, that is the boss".

Bana smiles and comes to the same conclusion, "There is nobody other than Tsuna that this could be".

 **The Himalayas HQ**

Xanxus is stood outside while all of this is going on. Momentarily occupied with instructing some of the resistance patrols he is distracted by the great feeling of power. He runs over to the edge of the cliff and looks to the west.

Gokudera and Haru quickly run over to join him.

"What's going on Xanxus" Gokudera asks.

"Is something wrong" Haru questions

"The dying will flame… I can feel a dying will flame of tremendous power coming from this direction" Xanxus informs them, "Which way is this.

"That's slightly west and slightly south" Haru declares.

This brings a smile to Xanxus face, "Then that puts it beyond doubt, it's the boss".

"Is it really him, he's really made the breakthrough" Haru shouts with elation as she tightly hugs Juu.

"Remember this moment, remember this feeling" Gokudera says to the child in Haru's arms.

"This is the 10th".

 **Sudan**

"Enma, what has gotten into you" Virgo asks.

"Sorry" Enma shakes his head gently as he looks North-East, "But I can feel him, Tsuna has made a breakthrough".

 **Saudi Arabia**

"A rainbow flame…" Squalo says with complete awe.

Normally in situations like this Squalo would yell 'VOI' this or 'VOI' that but right now he can't summon the words. They have worked for years, a good portion of their lives for this flame, a flame that could free the world.

"The rainbow ultimate flame" Tsuna looks at his arms and declares. Finally, all of his hard work has paid off.

"This is the power" Ellen begins, "This is the power all of those people have fought and died for, you've done it Tsuna".

Tsuna quickly disperses the flame and runs to the other two. "Let's go, we need to focus or this will have all been for nothing".

Their haste mattered little as Honda was still stationary in the awe, sharing their awe at the power he just felt. Nevertheless, the trio fled at full speed, once more making a successful get away.

From now on this wouldn't be a resistance movement, this would once more be a battle for the fate of the world. Once more they stand a chance at winning.

 **Two Weeks Later, The Himalayas HQ**

It's a snowy day at the Himalayas HQ, those without command of the dying will flame find themselves needing to wrap up warm. Haru cleverly uses her own dying will flame to keep Juu and herself well heated. This sort of freezing cold temperature is what makes it difficult to survive in the Himalayas, fortunately the resistance is exceptionally organised and contains many freakishly talented people.

In spite of the cold weather not a single one of the resistance members is depressed, no matter what they have lost, friends, relatives, parents, children, they all felt their vengeance coming soon. The signal for this is happening right before their eyes, it's the return of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Tsuna and his group enters the HQ.

"You've really done it haven't you" Xanxus asks, an image of his father passing through his mind as he craves for vengeance.

The 10th nods in reply, "I have unlocked a rainbow ultimate mode".

"So this is what I foresaw all those years ago" Gokudera scratches his chin, "It's got such a weak sounding name but it must be strong. Yes, we've put so much work into this one flame, it will definitely be enough".

Haru rocks Juu in her arms, "It will be enough little Juu, uncle Sawada is going to save you with the pretty rainbow flame".

Not long after the arrival of Tsuna's group comes the arrival of the mafia police and the remnants of the Millefiore family.

"Wow, Gokudera, what a sight you make, you're a father now" Yamamoto says as he approaches his old comrade.

Gokudera also approaches his counterpart, "I never thought I would say this". Suddenly Gokudera tightly embraces Yamamoto, "But it's damn good to see you; baseball freak".

Tsuna is happy to see the Millefiore members in person again, since Yamamoto is talking with Gokudera about becoming a parent, the 10th takes the opportunity to speak with Byakuran.

"Byakuran, if not for you fighting Bana back then we may have never gotten this far, so let me just say this".

"I'm damn glad you will be joining us for this fight" says Tsuna.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world boss" comes the reply of the former Millefiore boss.

Lastly the door opens once more, something that nobody expects. A teenager walks in, a teenager in a lab coat, Mammon is quick to recognise him as the thunder arcobaleno Virgo.

Everyone looks at Virgo in silence, as the scientist finally speaks. "It seems that I haven't led you astray".

Everyone wonders who Virgo is talking to, until the man of the hour sticks his head around the door to look in.

It's the Shimon family boss, it's Kozato Enma.

"Enma" Tsuna shouts as he approaches his long standing rival, "You made it, you're alive".

The red-haired mafia boss shakes Tsuna's outstretched hand firmly. "The Shimon Family, The Arcobaleno, Reborn, Basil, all of them put their trust in me, they are depending on me to get their revenge. I wouldn't miss this for anything".

Tsuna lowers his head as he thinks of all the deaths, he didn't even know about the Shimon family and the Arcobaleno until Enma mentioned it just now.

"You have had to go through so much, I promise you we won't fail" Tsuna begins, "For you, the Arcobaleno, the Shimon, the resistance, my parents, Reborn, Basil, Belphegor… for everyone who had to die, we're going to make them pay".

Tsuna turns to the group and addresses the entire hall. "We're going to kill Honda and all those who hold our friends in Japan hostage, we will make them pay".

"YES".

The gathering has become a truly momentous occasion and talk is rife amongst the resistance members. A lot of them have come to the realisation that not only has Sawada Tsunayoshi, the world's hope, finished his training but also all surviving members of the seven great mafioso have gathered under one roof. This is nearly over.

Xanxus orders the rearrangement of the main space in the HQ, this is to be a meeting with everyone involved, everyone from the kids to Tsuna himself. This is the meeting to discuss how to assault Japan.

After the tables are set out Gokudera is the first to speak. "We need a way to get in contact with the resistance in Japan".

"The resistance in Japan is the strongest in the world, they can't be that hard to find" Xanxus points out.

"They are fighting tooth and nail, bombings are a daily occurrence, this resistance is especially violent, there will be a strong presence there" Squalo points out. "The phrase Mafia or Yakuza has become virtually meaningless, you're quite likely to be wrong whichever way you answer".

"How will they be contacting one another" Tsuna asks the group at large.

"The radio frequency set up by Dino right back when this began" Bana answers.

"Dino was very detailed in his plans" the 10th begins, "They tampered with quite a few of our radios back then but they can't have known the frequency itself".

The clone of Primo once more stands while he addresses the room, "Then we just need to drop someone in Japan and they can contact them using the radio frequency".

Gokudera gets to his feet and faces his boss, "Then drop me, I know best how to interact with the satellites, I will get in contact with the resistance and phone you".

Tsuna smiles at the prospect of speaking to Dino once more, who knows, perhaps it is also possible that he will be able to speak to his wife or his brother.

"I told you I would still need you one day, didn't I Gokudera".

"Yes, you did 10th" the engineer replies.

"Well this… this is that day" the 10th suggests. This is finally the chance Gokudera has been looking for to make a difference in this war.

"I won't let you down".

"Have we got a way of sneaking you into Japan" Xanxus asks.

The one to answer is the thunder arcobaleno, "I have a small helicopter like device, it got Enma and I all the way here… I can make that drop".

Gokudera approaches the usually cowardly Arcobaleno with gratitude. Even Virgo who previously despised his interactions with the mafia is doing everything he can to help them win this war.

"Let's go then Virgo, we're going to Japan".


	72. For You

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – FOR YOU**

 **Tokyo**

Above the city of Tokyo, Virgo carries Gokudera in his small helicopter like vehicle. It is cold at this height but once more it is no problem for someone with control of the dying will flame. No, what truly bothers Gokudera Hayato is the sight of the city below. So many places, so many spots that he has visited through his life have all been destroyed. So many schools and hospitals. The storm guardian is hurt greatly when he looks at the spot where he met Yamamoto before the trouble restarted. He looks at the spot where he met Yamamoto to discuss Tsuna's disappearance, his place of work and the Yamamoto restaurant, all of them have been destroyed.

This devastation on such a mass scale is not something that anyone should ever have to see, much less in their home town. It seems not to be as a result of construction work but a result of explosives and gunfire, ironically this devastation is likely the work of the resistance headed by Dino and Hibari. For someone like Hibari who so desperately wanted to protect this country, to allow it to fall into a state of disrepair such as this is truly shocking to Gokudera.

Virgo pushes a few buttons on his dashboard and manipulates the pedals by his feet, it seems the controls are not that different to a car. The Thunder Arcobaleno doesn't talk after they arrive over Tokyo, perhaps out of respect to Gokudera, this may not be his home town but it is the storm guardian's. They touch down gently and the storm guardian hops out of the vehicle, quickly pressing himself up against a wall as he looks left and right, it does not pay to make a mistake.

Tokyo is a city unlike any other under the Yakuza regime, other cities have imposed curfews, they have people terrified on the streets as they pass by enforcement officers but at least they are populated. It is the middle of the day world's most populated city, it is a busy street and yet they have been able to land an aerial vehicle without being spotted. There is nobody on the streets, it is as if they do not dare for fear of what might happen.

Gokudera shakes his head, _'It's just like they say. The phrase Mafia or Yakuza must be completely meaningless here'_.

He raises his head into the sky, remembering what Tsuna has told him so many times, that by looking into the sky all of the Vongola guardians become united. Right now the right-hand man of the 10th needs all the moral support he can get.

' _Hibari, you damn discipline freak, just what the hell have you had to go through being here for so many years?'_.

The storm guardian composes himself before walking around the corner, he concludes that walking through the central streets may not be the best idea but he has to look at something. What happened to his home, what happened to the home of the 10th where he and Haru spent so many blissful years together.

Scenes run through the mind of the 10th's must trusted aide, scenes of he and Haru arguing when they were younger. Competing to see who could more reliably help the 10th complete his mathematics homework. He laughs as he recalls the stupid things they used to argue about, yet now they have a kid together. They still argue about silly things but even that is a blessing, a blessing bestowed upon them by Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Gokudera suddenly snaps himself from his dream as he hears boots ahead of him. Around the corner in front of him a group of five people march, all five of them have the full body tattoos that have become associated with the Yakuza. These men and women are Yakuza officers.

"Resistance!" a man screams, seemingly the leader of the group based on his position at the centre of their formation.

Gokudera's eyes widen as the five of them quickly draw their guns. These five are not like normal men and women, their draw is a quick-draw that is seldom seen throughout history. Bang, five shots are fired towards the storm guardian.

Gokudera's reactions are delayed by his daydreams of his wife and child. He quickly reaches into his pocket, taking hold of six bombs he made in advance. Casually throwing them at the attackers before him, Gokudera quickly follows this up by jumping into a nearby alley.

"Fall back and call backup" a man shouts. Gokudera determines this to be the leader. "This one is too tough for us to take on by ourselves".

Relief is the emotion he experiences, relief at the momentary reprieve from the fighting. Gokudera pushes himself up using his hands on the ground, resting himself against the wall. An unusual sensation strikes the resistance fighter; he feels cold yet warm at the same time. He reaches down to his lower chest, the source of the sensation, it feels wet. That's when he lifts his hand up this face, covered in red, covered in blood.

He has been shot.

Gokudera slams his head back against the wall behind him, as if relaxing after a long day's work. "Oh god" he says before he slowly lifts the radio up to his mouth. His hands tremble but he keeps lifting it until it reaches its target.

Gokudera presses the button, "This is… Gokudera Hayato… come in". He pauses for a while, waiting but there is no response.

"This is Gokudera Hayato… please… somebody answer… this is important".

 **The Tokyo Resistance HQ**

This is the headquarters of the Tokyo resistance branch. The strongest resistance in the world, the resistance that has fought head on against the strongest Yakuza presence ever known. It is an old abandoned warehouse, hidden so well amongst a sea of abandoned buildings that the Yakuza have yet to find it. This has taken great effort to maintain though, great effort from the Chiavarone family, from their boss Dino and from the cloud guardian of the Vongola family, Hibari Kyoya.

Dino and Hibari stand at the rear end of the warehouse, looking at a huge screen before them. On the screen is a map, a huge map of Japan, a map they use to plot their attacks and their bombings. This map is firmly engrained into both of their minds now, even should they eventually win the war this image will haunt them in their dreams.

An operator runs over to the pair. A man with a plain black shirt and unassuming work trousers. The man is wearing a headset which has been provided to him by his fellow resistance members. He does not use the headset as he approaches the duo though, he is onto something far more urgent.

"Boss, it's Gokudera Hayato" he exclaims as he holds the radio out to Dino.

Dino spins on his heel with wide eyes. Gokudera Hayato has not been in Japan since the start of the resistance, where has he come from. Not daring to waste a moment the Chiavarone boss snatches the radio from the operator and presses the button.

Romario runs up to Hibari and Dino. "Hibari, Dino, your kid is…".

"SHUT UP" they both yell.

Romario looks at the couple with a confused expression before he receives a venomous look from Hibari, a look that could kill. "You deal with him".

"Gokudera this is Dino".

"Bronco" a coughing voice replies, "You're a sight to sore eyes… well figuratively". Gokudera makes the ironic statement despite his difficult circumstances, over recent years he has learnt from the 10th the importance of keeping up morale even in the most trying of times.

"Listen" Gokudera starts, "I'm afraid I'm dying right now… I'm in… oh… Honda street… who would have thought".

"We will send someone out to save you" Dino replies, not wanting to lose a friend so soon after getting back in contact with him.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that… but with me have a device… it's a mobile… a mobile phone" Gokudera coughs out, "You can…. You can use it to contact… the other resistance members".

"I will go" Hibari remarks as he darts away. Many of the resistance members are shocked, they have never seen Hibari move that quick. Yet this situation is like no other the resistance has encountered, this is truly hope in the most hopeless of places.

"Gokudera…" Dino starts.

"Sorry Bronco, but right now… I would like to make one last call… to my wife".

"I understand, thank you Gokudera".

 **Himalayas HQ**

The leading members of the resistance wait anxiously around the telephone. If everything goes well they should be getting a call from Gokudera or perhaps even Dino or Hibari. Tsuna contemplates how he has missed the cloud guardian. Usually so cold and calculating Hibari turns many people away with his mannerisms yet following this war Tsuna fully believes experiencing his company will be relatively blissful.

The phone they have rings on the desk, drawing the gaze of everyone. The person closest to the phone picks it up and answers it quickly, that is the rain officer of the Varia, Squalo.

"Squalo" he calls as he answers the phone.

"Hey… the resistance is on their way… to this phone… but I won't be here when they pick it up" comes the voice on the other end of the phone.

The phone is on speaker meaning that everyone can hear it. Tsuna shares a look with Yamamoto and they can both see it in each other's eyes, they both know what this means. They are the trio who started the 10th generation of the Vongola family yet perhaps… perhaps this is the beginning of the end for that family.

"Are you hit?" Squalo asks.

"Yeah… can I speak to… Haru?".

Haru is well within earshot of the phone yet the others encourage her to the front of the group. They motion her into the seat next to the phone, as if being closer to the phone makes her closer to the man himself.

"Hayato, what's going on" she asks, her eyes already moistening.

"I'm really sorry Haru… I'm in Japan but... I've only got a few minutes left".

Tears start to flow from the eyes of the mother. She shakes her head as if she refuses to believe what is happening. "Don't be ridiculous, the resistance will save you".

"I'm too far gone" coughs the storm guardian, "I'm really sorry".

Haru continues to shake her head, "Hayato, you can't die".

The storm guardian steels himself and speaks firmly into the phone. "Haru, make sure Juu knows I fought really hard for him… because that's why I do all of this Haru".

"I do it for you… I do it for him… I love you both".

"I really wish I could have seen him grow up… I love you both… I love you so much".

"We love you too" Haru calls in reply.

A moment of silence passes before a loud crash is heard. Gokudera has dropped the phone.

"Hayato… Hayato… HAYATO".

"Gokudera" Tsuna whispers, on the verge of tears himself.

"He came so far" Yamamoto remarks.

Tsuna's emotions are interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. The hand causes his head to turn and his eyes to fix on the resolute face of Vongola Bana.

"Dry your tears boss, Haru is allowed to cry but you are not, you've still got a job to do" Bana says.

Tsuna looks away from Bana, hanging his head for a second before he clenches his fists tightly.

"I know".


	73. Is he Alive?

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – IS HE ALIVE?**

 **Japan's Resistance HQ**

The warehouse is sombre but noisy, people discussing their misfortunes or their hatred for the Yakuza, for years now there has been little in the way of options for conversation. Nobody knows what is happening at that very moment, Dino decides against telling them, letting only the Chiavarone Mafia members and his son know.

Hibari Kyoya walks subtly in through the front door. His coat sways in the breeze as he walks towards Dino, Romario and Aron, his adopted son. He approaches the screen with all six of their eyes fixed on him.

"Gokudera?" Dino asks simply.

Hibari shakes his head, letting the trio know that the right-hand-man of Sawada Tsunayoshi has died. He thinks back to the memories he has of Gokudera, that man was always so noisy, he fought with those damn bombs and he was always droning on about 'mafia' this or '10th' that. Yet Gokudera was still a friend to him.

"I'm sorry about your friend dad" comes the voice of Aron.

Aron is a twelve-year-old boy, made an orphan by the war, he is the adoptive son of both Dino and Hibari. Aron has short black hair and a skinny build as did many children following the war.

"Yeah…" Hibari replies to his son, not the type to linger on such an issue for longer than is necessary.

Hibari brings a device up before his face. It only has a few buttons on it but it is what Gokudera died to give to him. It's a chunky black device, Hibari recognises a couple of audio components meaning that it is likely to be the device that Gokudera stated, perhaps it really is a phone to the rest of the world's resistance.

Romario shakily raises his hand before he points to the object in the cloud guardian's hands. He struggles to get the words out he wants, it has been so many years since he first helped formulate a communication method and it hadn't worked yet now another one has appeared before his eyes.

"Is that the phone" he asks, "Is that the phone that gets through to the rest of the world's resistance".

Hibari looks to Romario and nods.

"There's no mistaking it then" Dino starts as he holds Aron tightly. "We will finally know… finally after all these years we will find out if Tsuna survived".

Dino takes his turn to look at the device in awe. For too long now he has been fighting a hopeless fight against the Yakuza and for what. The Chiavarone boss has only had one reason to fight, it's for the faint hope that Sawada Tsunayoshi is still alive. If Tsuna is alive then there is hope for the world's freedom, if Tsuna is dead then it has all been for nothing.

"EVERYONE QUIET" Romario shouts at the top of his voice, silencing the entire warehouse.

Nobody looks at the second-in-command of the Chiavarone with anger, he has greatly earnt their respect during their fight. When Dino was unable to give orders or Hibari was out fighting it had been up to him to organise the group. He truly is one of the greatest leaders of the Japanese resistance.

As the crowd quietens down Romario takes a deep breath, what may be about to come to these men and women is the greatest news they have ever heard. It is also true that they could learn of Tsuna's death, that would signal an end to life as they know it.

"We received a communication on the radio not long ago, it was from a famous name you might know. We heard from Gokudera Hayato".

The resistance members whisper messages between themselves. Many know who Gokudera Hayato is, the right-hand-man of Sawada Tsunayoshi himself. The second-in-command to the world's hope, where had he been for so long.

"He informed us that he has come to this country with a mobile phone, a phone we could use to contact the resistance from the rest of the world".

"He died to give us this phone but his sacrifice will not have been in vain. I won't lie, what you are about to hear could be very hard for you".

"But what we hope we will find out is the status of the Vongola boss himself… this could be the best news we have ever had".

A serious expression comes to the face of many of the men and women of the resistance. Romario notices people shuffling around, swapping places and such. People are nestling close to their families, is it in case the news is good or in case the news is bad.

Aron's hairs stand on end. He has never experienced anything like this in his young life as he turns behind him to look at his blonde father. "I can feel the tension dad".

Dino holds his son close to him before he looks the Vongola's cloud guardian dead in the eye. "Kyoya, make the call".

Hibari notices a few audio-visual connectors on the device so he plugs it into the compute before him.

Then he presses the call button.

RING! RING!

RING! RING!

RING! RING!

The phone gets through to someone and a loud obnoxious voice comes through. "VOI, it's Squalo here".

Many people tense, another name they recognise, the famous rain officer of the Varia. The man who could defeat any sword style, Squalo is on the phone.

"Squalo, so you survived" Hibari blandly replies through the phone. Truthfully Squalo being on the other end is underwhelming for the Japanese police officer, having hoped it would at least be one of the seven great mafioso.

"Who is this?" Squalo asks.

"Hibari Kyoya, Dino is here too".

Another loud cry comes from the other end of the phone. "VOI, It's Hibari and Dino, they are alright".

"Never mind that you fool" Hibari shouts into the phone, far too impatient to wait any longer, "Let us know the important thing...".

"Did the herbivore survive?".

Squalo adopts a serious tone as he speaks through the phone. He pauses a moment before beginning, "I can confirm it to you all now… you've not been fighting for nothing".

"Sawada Tsunayoshi is alive!".

Squalo is likely deafened by the roar that follows the statement. The men and women of the resistance have never cheered so loudly in their lives. They hug their families tightly and wear smiles so great it seems they will never disappear. So many years fighting just for that one hope. Their hope has come true.

Their saviour is alive.

Dino holds Aron tightly in a hug. "I can't believe it, Tsuna really is alive".

Hibari is the only person in the room refusing to smile. "Put him on moron, everyone here is waiting to hear from him not you".

"VOI, press the damn video button, honestly, you're the moron".

Hibari makes a quick exanimation of the phone before he notices a button. That button has a square with rounded corners on it. Upon pressing the button, the large screen projects the most artistic thing Hibari has ever seen. It's the face of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The resistance members all gaze in awe at the face on the screen. It is the same face that was on their TV's years ago, the man who the world prayed for. The last hope for their country.

"Hibari" Tsuna nods before chuckling, "You look terrible".

"That's saying something herbivore because this is the best we've all felt in years" comes the reply.

Tsuna smiles before he explains what has been happening. "I have been on the run for years, only able to train for ten minutes in each place".

"But you can keep on smiling, after training for so long, I've made a breakthrough".

"Yamamoto, Xanxus, Bana, Enma and I, we've all reunited together in the Himalayas".

Dino walks to Hibari's side, to be certain he will appear in picture with the could guardian. "So you are coming… you are really coming?".

"Yes… I'm coming to Japan".

Once more a deafening cheer resounds throughout the warehouse. Not only has their last hope appeared but he has gotten stronger and he is coming for what will likely be the final fight. Their years of hard work have all been for the possibility of having one last chance at freedom. Now that possibility is a certainty, they will have one last chance.

"Hibari, Dino, before we discuss how we are going to get into Japan I have to know something… are the guardians still alive" Tsuna asks.

Yamamoto calls from out of shot, "That's right please tell us".

Hibari shakes his head with a sigh, "We had a few reported sightings but that was years ago, it's possible they forgot the radio frequency because they have never made contact with us".

"That's right, we have never found a body though" Dino remarks, "You can still have hope Tsuna".

Tsuna smiles faintly as he thinks about that group.

Contained within that group is his sworn brother, the sun guardian Sasagawa Ryohei. If he and Kyoko were to survive this war perhaps they would truly be siblings again. Tsuna thinks how he would like to reunite the brother and sister, how that is his duty as a sworn brother.

Contained within that group is his adopted brother, the thunder guardian Sawada Lambo. Tsuna always giggles thinking about the childish guardian, the child that he has always strived to protect. Lambo must nearly an adult now, that teenager who use to appear from an explosion of purple smoke. The man from the ten-year bazooka, that is the Lambo of the present day.

Contained within that group is his wife, the mist guardian Sawada Dokuro. The woman he fell in love with while sightseeing in Italy, the woman he married when he became the boss of the Vongola family. Both of them would surely have lost their parents to the war but the mafia boss is sure that wouldn't trouble either of them if they were able to reunite.

"That's good" Tsuna mumbles before clapping his hands loudly together, "Now, how do we get into Japan".

Hibari discusses the straight-forward approach. "The border is constantly patrolled by both boats and helicopters, if you want to be stealthy you can't get in that way".

"Underwater then" Xanxus notes.

"Yes" the Chiavarone boss nods to the man he named as one of the seven great mafioso, "It's unpleasant but your best chance of getting in without raising an alarm is the sewer system".

"More crawling in the sewers hey" Tsuna smirks before his heart clenches in his chest. That time he last crawled in the sewers was with Belphegor and Gokudera, both have since died as heroes of the resistance.

"It's underwater Tsuna" chuckles Dino, "You won't be crawling, you will be swimming".

"Well I'm glad that the guardian's taught me how" Tsuna smiles before his chest tightens once again. Perhaps the man who could truly take credit for that is the hitman tutor Reborn, another of the fallen heroes.

A man approaches from behind Dino and Hibari, a man Tsuna recognises. "We have a huge resistance force here, over one million people will be ready to launch a final attack when we order it".

"SHAMAL, you're OK" the 10th exclaims upon seeing the Vongola family doctor, "Thank god for that".

"Bianci is with us too" Shamal notes, "She's not really up to talking right now but the cheer was enough to tell her that you are alive". Bianci is naturally devastated that her brother appeared and then so quickly died again.

"I understand, so what you are saying is that we don't need our ground soldiers, only our core members".

"Exactly" the doctor gives a thumbs up to the screen, "only the strong amongst you need to come".

"You can all swim right?" Hibari's voice is filled with sarcasm.

Dino asks Romario to go and get something and the mafioso momentarily disappears. Romario appears a few seconds later holding up a piece of paper behind his boss, it's a map.

"We have a sewer in mind already, it's here" Dino explains as he points at the map.

Tsuna sweatdrops, "That's a map of the entire of Japan Dino, you need to be more specific".

Hibari wraps his hand around the back of his counterpart's head for his lack of seriousness and gives the larger group an exact set of co-ordinates. "We have a few traitors in the guards, they will come and pick you up and show you where to dive".

"Won't they die if they are found" Enma questions.

Shamal lowers his head to the floor before shaking it. "So many of us have died already, we have all long since been prepared for that".

"This plan is good" comes the voice of the mafia's second strongest son. It is the voice of Vongola Bana, "I say we go with it".

Tsuna nods, "Assuming no change in plans we will be there in three days".

Tsuna leaves Ellen to discuss small issues and details with the Japanese group as he addresses his own followers. It is really happening; in just three days he is going to Japan. The country where he will fight Honda, the last battle to determine the life or death of so many. The battle for the freedom of the human race.

The last battle is coming.


	74. I am Back

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – I AM BACK**

 **Japan Resistance HQ**

The members of the Japanese resistance wait patiently as they look at the door before them. It is about this time that Tsuna and his group of legendary mafioso should be arriving. This group contains the likes of Xanxus, Yamamoto, Vongola Bana and of course the world's hope himself, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

You could hear a mouse if it were to squeak, yet no such thing happens. The resistance members have their eyes bolted to the door, ready, for any minute now it could happen, he could arrive. The reason they all wait for the door is not because of his potential arrival however, it's because of the potential for a trap. The Yakuza have limitless potential; it is still possible this is their attempt at squashing the most important resistance base in the country.

The chief five people stood nearest to the door are the elite members of the resistance. The Chiavarone boss Dino and his right-hand-man Romario. The strongest member of the resistance, Vongola's cloud guardian Hibari Kyoya. Two more members of the Vongola family, the storm guardian's sister, Gokudera Bianci and the Vongola family's doctor, Shamal. Truthfully it this is a Yakuza trap they couldn't hope to put up a fight, the best result would be Hibari escaping but regardless they decided earlier that they would try.

There are three knocks at the door, the exact number that Dino specified to Ellen during their organisational conversations. That doesn't mean anything though, it could still be a trap.

The blonde Mafia boss takes a few steps forward and leans his shoulder against the door. "Password" he yells.

' _Please be them'_ Dino begs as if to the real god. _'Please don't let me down now Tsuna'._

"Crib means frozen" comes the reply.

Turning back to Hibari, Dino looks at the strongest amongst them. Everything has fallen in to place, Dino never provided them with a password since they insisted they knew an old one. One more layer of proof that the boss wasn't going to refuse.

Hibari's eyes briefly shift from the door to the face of the man who trained him. He simply nods, open the door.

Dino opens the door. The creaks of the hinges, the gradual invasion of light into the room, they all make his hair stand on end. Who will be on the other side of this door.

Mafia or Yakuza?

The man on the other side of the door jumps into a friendly hug with Dino. There's no doubt in the minds of the others, this is the Vongola boss. This is Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"I'm back" Tsuna yells at the top his voice, a resounding cheer following as his presence is confirmed.

Now they don't need to be afraid, even if one of the Yakuza leaders were to attack Tsuna would have a chance at beating them. The resistance is over, now they are the opposition.

"I'll never get used to people being so happy to see me" Tsuna smiles as he pulls himself back from Dino.

"Hopefully they won't have to be so overjoyed soon but right now I share their elation" Dino begins. "It's damn good to see you Tsuna".

"You too Dino, thanks to your plan all those years ago the resistance is still alive and fighting even now, this is only possible because of all your hard work".

The bucking bronco smiles proudly, "Thank you; boss".

Tsuna then turns to Hibari and takes the sight of him in. It seems like so long ago now that he was helping to keep 'unsavoury characters' away from his wedding. True to his word the Yakuza didn't take Japan until after the wedding.

"I've made you wait a long time for our fight" the 10th offers Hibari, thinking back to the time he protected Mukuro from the cloud guardian.

A smile comes to the disciplinarian's face, "I'm sure I can hold on a little longer".

Dino grabs hold of Aron's shoulders and brings him to the front of the couple. "Tsuna, this is Aron, our son. Aron, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi, the greatest mafioso in history".

Tsuna shakes his head at the compliment and begins introducing himself to Aron. He wonders just what the kid has been through during the war, he wonders how Honda could subject even youngsters like this to suffering.

"You two have a kid" Yamamoto starts, "I didn't even know you were seeing each other".

"WE'RE NOT".

Romario scratches the back of his head, "Well they are".

Dino snorts, "Shut it Romario".

Hibari decides to clarify Aron's parental situation. "We both just happened to adopt him on the same day so we both decided we would be his father… Bronco is more like the mother though".

"Oh you went and said it" Dino brings his whip out, "Want to fight Kyoya".

"I only fight challenging opponents".

Beside the arguing parents, Haru and Bianci embrace one another. Since last seeing each other they have become family, one being Juu's mother and another his aunt. Also since that time they have both lost family, the death of Gokudera Hayato too recent in their minds.

"I'm so sorry" Bianci offers.

"Yeah… I'm sorry too" returns Haru.

"I hear you are a mother now; the baby is back in the Himalayas I take it" the poisonous cook asks.

"Yeah, little Juu, he's your nephew" the storm policewoman nods, "He is back in the Himalayas, I suppose he is the last hope this world has if we all fall here today".

"We won't fail" Shamal declares with a clenched fist, "I can feel it, the rising excitement, the fear from the Yakuza, this is it… this is it".

Tsuna nods to the doctor who once saved his life. He owes it to him, no to so many people to win against Honda.

"That's right, this is it, Dino, take me to your maps, show me what you know".

Dino and Hibari swiftly escort Tsuna and his group to the rear of the warehouse. There is a screen, a great screen on the rear wall. This is the screen that the resistance used when they contacted Sawada Tsunayoshi but right now it is being used for its former purpose, displaying maps.

"Where are the Yakuza chiefly held up" Tsuna asks.

"The vast majority of them are at their largest slave encampment here". Hibari points to a spot on the map just outside of Tokyo, difficult to reach and easy to defend. The Yakuza have clearly thought this through.

"Including Honda" Ellen asks.

"Yes". The one who answers is not Hibari but Dino. "We have produced a profile of the most worrying fighters the Yakuza have".

Hibari runs through the list.

"Honda is the leader of the Yakuza; he uses his fists to a high enough level to defeat the improved ultimate flame".

"Gon is the second-in-command; a wise old man who follows Honda loyally for some reason, he uses darts with enough accuracy to hit from miles away".

"Kara seems to be Honda's assistant, it's also unknown why she follows Honda loyally, she is the sabre user who defeated Yamamoto using Clarent previously".

"Lucy is Honda's pet project, he seems to enjoy watching her turn from sane to insane, using her power to manipulate glass she killed Reborn and Basil last time we fought".

"Lastly is Varon, he is probably the weakest of them all but he is very dangerous. What he is, we assume that is what Lucy will eventually become, an insane monster. He uses weighted balls to attack his opponent".

Dino turns to Tsuna following the explanation. "These five are very dangerous but we still have five of the seven, they are all dangerous too right".

"Right".

"Is our plan a full frontal assault on the slave camp" Ellen asks.

"Unless you have any better ideas" comes Dino's reply.

"It just seems ironic, we've been sneaking around for years and now we are going to show up right in front of them".

"I know how it sounds but the it's the best plan" sighs Hibari as he shrugs his shoulders, "There will be no sneaky attacks, no assassinations, no hit and run".

Dino shakes his head as he looks at his feet, "We've tried everything and failed to kill Honda. They say you can't kill a god".

"I say we prove them wrong" the Vongola Boss snorts at the statement. "Right?",

"Yes".

"Damn right we do" Ellen concurs.

Tsuna turns around, hands in pockets he walks towards the door. "Dino, Hibari, make preparations, tomorrow evening we will carry out the result".

"Where are you going" Dino asks with a panicked expression, "It's dangerous out there, you might get hurt".

The irony of this situation slowly sinks in on him. If their plan is to work they are depending on Sawada Tsunayoshi to be the strongest fighter alive, if the streets of Tokyo could kill him then it would save them the bother of pointlessly attacking the slave encampment.

"I'm going to check somewhere to see if I can find my guardians".

"Hyper intuition" Hibari asks.

"No, just sentimentality".

 **Kokuyo Junior High**

Tsuna slowly walks through the corridors of the school Mukuro gathered his followers at. He recalls how his wife referred to this as a good hiding place before the war. She was right, generally the city has become a desolate area and not a public building could be walked into without seeing the damage first hand. This place hasn't changed though; the only damage a few burn marks on a wall.

' _Those burn marks, I wonder what nasty fellow did that'_ Tsuna smiles to himself, _'Yes, that's where I first used the hyper dying will flame. The true beginning of my journey perhaps'._

Tsuna walks around another corner in the corridor. Slowly raising his head as his smile disappears. Stood before him is a small group of people. If he were to look carefully he would recognise many faces in this group yet his eyes are only drawn to one. The face of a woman with an eye-patch.

It's his wife.

It's Sawada Dokuro.

Tsuna doesn't hear what the others say upon seeing him. Some exclamations, some noises of euphoria and some mention of, 'classroom to give them privacy'. The others disappear into a classroom just at the side of the corridor, leaving the husband and wife duo alone.

Dokuro approaches Tsuna and hugs him tightly, tighter than she has ever hugged anyone before. Years of suffering, hunting for food, watching people die trying to stand up for the Yakuza. Yet after so long, so much time of hardship, her husband has come back. Tsuna is still fighting for her.

"Dokuro" Tsuna sobs, tears flowing from his eyes, "So many people died, Mum and Dad and Gokudera and Reborn and Basil too… the Shimon family and Belphegor and I couldn't save them".

"But I never, I never stopped fighting, I didn't stop trying I promise".

"I know", the first words the mist guardian says to her boss in years. "But you are here now, that's all that matters. I love you Tsuna".

"I love you too Dokuro".

A few minutes pass before the door to the classroom opens. Tsuna decides to compose himself this time, regardless of how happy he is to be reunited with his wife he has to acknowledge the others.

The Vongola Boss is taken back when the one who comes out of the classroom isn't anyone he recognises, it's a young girl with striking white hair.

"Shiro" Dokuro begins, evidently the girl has been named after her hair colour, "This is Tsuna, he's your father".

"Father… my father…" the young girl slowly walks towards the Vongola Boss, not quite knowing how to act in this situation.

Tsuna's tears begin flowing uncontrollably once more. He hugs the girl, he hugs Shiro, he hugs his daughter for the first time.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I've already been gone for so long, I've been a really bad father, I've been a really bad husband and I…".

"Tsuna…".

"Yeah…".

"Just shut up and enjoy the moment will you"

The new-found father chuckles, "Alright, I won't let either of you go again, I promise".

A good few minutes pass but Tsuna doesn't notice, it feels like an instant. To be so close to his wife and his daughter is what he has been fighting so long and so hard for. He has fought so that everyone could enjoy this sensation.

Before long the door opens once again and a familiar face pokes their head around it. "It's a bit less significant than having a daughter I'm sure but you have missed several years of my life too brother".

Of course the one who says that is the thunder guardian, the younger of the Sawada brothers, Sawada Lambo. In the years since they have last seen each other Lambo has changed greatly, for starters the war had evidently restricted his access to cow-print clothing. The greatest change however, is his physical appearance, he has gotten so much taller and boasts the mature face of an adult despite being merely a teenager.

This Lambo might cause Bianci to fly into a rage as he looks just like the future Lambo that used to emerge from the ten-year bazooka. Of course this is not Bianci's ex, Romeo, this is Sawada's younger brother.

Tsuna hugs his brother, he has hugged so many people already yet he feels he will never tire of it. "You have gotten pretty big haven't you, less bad grammar in your sentences". The elder of the brothers does his best to perform his fraternal duty by teasing his junior.

"You seem more of an old man than I do" Tsuna continues.

"Well this war is enough to make you age one hundred years" Lambo notes as he scratches the back of his head, "I-Pin, say hello won't you".

"It's good to see you again Tsuna, I'm so glad that you're back".

"It's good to see you too I-Pin".

"It's been too long brother" comes another voice. This voice does not belong to the thunder guardian Lambo, it doesn't belong to a child of Iemitsu and Nana. This voice has been heard many times around the world, it's the world boxing champion, Sasagawa Ryohei.

"Big brother, it's been too long I know. Don't worry, I never forgot the bond we share, I kept Kyoko safe".

The final two people emerge from the room, the last of the Kokuyo Junior High gang. Ken and Chikusa.

Tsuna immediately bows to the duo on seeing them, "Ken and Chikusa, I asked you to keep Dokuro safe. You've kept her safe for so long, thank you very much".

"Well don't thank us yet, our job isn't complete until Honda's dead" growls Chikusa.

"Yes, follow me, I have something to show all of you".

 **Japan Resistance HQ**

"Ryohei, you're alive, Dokuro too, this is fantastic" Yamamoto exclaims as he shakes hands with his old allies. "Lambo too, you've gotten so tall".

Lambo firmly shakes the hand of the rain guardian, smiling as he recalls the times they spent together in years gone past. There were times when Lambo looked up to him, his strength, his determination and there were times he was terrified of him. The thunder guardian recalls his rain counterpart's audition to become his baby sitter, that put him off baseball for years.

"It's good to see you too Yamamoto" the younger Sawada brother begins, "I offer my condolences though, I'm sure your baseball career must have taken a hit".

The baseball star laughs in return, "Seeing all of your faces again more than makes up for it".

The sun policewoman approaches the sun guardian with her head lowered. Since her more aggressive attitude took hold it has been unlike her to be shy about anything but she is blushing right now.

"I'm sorry it took so long" she comments as she tentatively wraps her arms around her brother's back.

"It doesn't matter how long the journey took" Ryohei smiles, "Sawada brought us back together, that's all that matters now".

Aron's eyes are darting to and fro between the various newcomers. "Dad who are all of these people".

"Well everyone is quite impressed right now because these are the Vongola guardians" Dino explains to his son, "Tsuna, Kyoya, Dokuro, Yamamoto, Lambo, Ryohei, all of the surviving Vongola guardians have gathered in one spot".

"It's just a few more hours now" Hibari comments, the only one not rushing to embrace the returning guardians, "A few more hours until the birth of the rainbow flame".

 **A Side Room**

The room is small and stuffy but is a vast improvement on the ones from the Himalayas HQ. Tsuna has brought Ellen into this room for a brief chat. The conditions don't matter much; what matters is why he has brought his resistance organiser into this room with him.

"It didn't hit me until now but all of the Vongola guardians have gathered, everyone except the storm guardian" the boss sighs.

Ellen shuts her eyes for a moment and nods in agreement, "All of those years we were on the run with Gokudera, it still hasn't sunk in yet. Still, he did not die for nothing".

"The storm guardian" Tsuna begins, "A raging storm who is always at the centre of the attack, the right-hand-man of the boss".

Tsuna takes something out of his jacket pocket and throws it to Ellen.

It is the Vongola Storm ring.

"Congratulations storm guardian".

"Me" Ellen exclaims, "But I am not strong, I don't have the dying will flame or…".

Tsuna interrupts the former soldier. "Gokudera would have hand-picked you if he were still here. Besides it's not about strength or anything like that. It's about your role in the family, you've been the mafia's organiser for years now, at the centre of the attack".

"This is a job you were born for, please accept the ring".

Ellen looks down into her hand. _'This ring, it carries the will of Gokudera within it. This ring must be there to see the downfall of the Yakuza'_.

She tightens her grip on the ring, "OK… I accept boss".

"Good, then once more the Vongola Guardians are whole".

"The Vongola Guardians, we will march into battle against Honda together".

"The Vongola Guardians…".

"… We're back".


	75. We are Humans

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – WE ARE HUMANS**

 **The Dining Room, Yakuza HQ**

Honda sits comfortably in a chair at the end of a long table. The old man smiles at the slaves around him, each entirely subservient to him and his every whim. He is so close now to being the god he desires, there is only one thing that could ever threaten him. The leader of the Mafia, Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The Yakuza boss gazes down at the meal before him, it's Moroccan he is told. He cares little for world geography or what food came from where, in his mind all that matters is that the food tastes nice and therefore it is his right as a god to eat it. Whether a meal comes from Italy or Brazil, China or Mexico makes no difference, countries are small talk, gods deal in worlds.

"GOD" a shout comes from outside the door.

The door flies open; so hard the top hinge comes loose from the frame. In this room any damage is expensive, an offence punishable by death to anyone other than the Yakuza leaders. Fortunately for the one who broke the door, she is one of the aforementioned leaders.

It is the one who wields Clarent, Kara.

"How dare you interrupt me" Honda snarls angrily at his underling, "Can't you see I'm in the middle of eating. Who in their right mind interrupts a god when they are eating".

"It's the mafia, they are attacking" the blonde shouts.

The Yakuza's leader shakes his head. During the last few years there have been so many mafia attacks on this place. Hibari Kyoya led one once, one of the most powerful mafioso outside of the 'great seven', yet he was unable to harm a single one of the leaders.

Kara shakes her head, "This is not like the other attacks, they are not being led by Hibari Kyoya".

"Then who are they being led by" the boss looks curiously at his servant.

"They are being led by…".

"… Sawada Tsunayoshi himself".

The wrinkled eyes of the old man open widely. "WHAT".

For years now the mafia boss has been on the run, attempting to train for periods of five minutes at a time. Honda had never allowed him time to make any progress, it should have been impossible to make enough progress before Tsuna died of old age. Yet now the mafia boss dares to launch an attack here, the most secure place in the world. What the hell is going on.

Honda runs towards the wall before flying straight through it at high speed. Kara follows closely behind as the duo fly high into the air. The wind blows flow the tied hair of Kara as she desperately tries to keep up with the man she has acknowledged as god. Never has he been this desperate, never has he had this sense of urgency, is this time really different.

Below is an army, a resistance army. It is huge, greater than any ground force that Honda has ever seen. This wouldn't be saying much for your average warrior yet Honda has lived through much of Japan's history, he has seen wars thought on a massive scale, both nationally and internationally. This force however, it must surpass one million strong.

Kara gapes in awe at the resistance army. She has never seen a force so strong, she knew that the resistance was attacking yet had no idea that the number would be so great. She looks to the side at her god, as if looking for reassurance but finds none. Instead she looks up to his head and traces his gaze.

Honda is not looking at the resistance force below.

Honda is looking at the man floating above the resistance.

Honda is looking into the eyes, of Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The Yakuza boss grinds his teeth and clenches his fists, not daring to avert his attention from his greatest threat. Floating not too distantly from him is the last thing that can stop his ascension to godhood.

Tsuna has doesn't grind his teeth or clench his fist but he does keep his eyes wide open. Those wide eyes are looking straight into the iris of his Yakuza counterpart. He would be shaking with rage but there is one thing stopping him, an unwavering focus.

Suddenly the ultimate flame appears around Tsuna, both Honda and Kara can feel such a strong power from such a close range. The increase in Tsuna's power doesn't stop there however, the ground begins to shake as the ultimate flame shows some signs of metamorphosis.

"Impossible, he has something even greater than the ultimate flame". Kara waits for a moment, glancing at the man floating before her, then she comes back to reality, there is no time to waste. "God, attack him, don't let him do whatever he is up to".

The resistance member with the greatest eyesight, Vongola Bana, watches the confrontation keenly. He watches as the self-proclaimed god of this world launches from his resting position, approaching Tsuna rapidly. He watches as his boss, the Vongola boss, the Mafia's boss slowly cycles through the various elements of the sky in order to power up. He comes to a shocking conclusion.

"He won't' make it".

At the rate Honda is approaching, Tsuna won't be able to use the ultimate flame.

' _You should have powered up before getting here'_ Honda concludes within his own mind as he nears the Vongola boss, _'Your weakness is the human habit you described yourself'_.

Honda swings his fist towards Tsuna, a punch that could destroy a mountain.

' _No, you're the one who is suffering from bad human habits'_ Tsuna thinks as if he can read Honda's mind.

The flame around the Vongola boss no longer changes slowly, although only three of the six elements have appeared within his aura the next three appear instantaneously.

He was charging slowly on purpose.

Bana gasps as Tsuna quickly throws his fist into a collision with Honda's. A huge collision, a force that could shake the world is exerted by both men. The one who comes out on top in this fateful collision, is the Vongola boss.

Honda is sent flying back into the slave encampment, his body like a bullet propelled from a gun.

Bana lowers the bow from his eyes and grips hold of his wife's hand. "Tsuna overcame him, in their first test of brains and brawn".

"This is it" the sun policewoman nods in reply, "All those years of work. The boss is really going to save us".

"EVERYONE" the boss yells from the air above the resistance. He uses his dying will flame on his throat, projecting his voice so that all of the million plus freedom fighters can hear him, "I have something to say".

"This is the day when we have all gathered in the final act of defiance, the final stand against those who proclaim themselves gods".

"But let me say this, do we stand here today as gods… as gods fighting gods?".

"NO, we stand here today as HUMANS. WE ARE HUMANS FIGHTING GODS".

"Today the Yakuza will know the fury of a million human hearts".

"We stand here not as Mafia, not as Yakuza, we stand here as HUMAN".

"We stand here not as man, not as woman, BUT AS HUMAN".

"We don't stand here Millefiore, Vongola, Arcobaleno or even as civilians".

"We stand here today as the free humans of Japan and of the world".

"Right now the Yakuza are gathering their forces to send out against us".

"These are as they have proclaimed, the forces of the heavens".

"A force that only a god could summon".

"So please, LET'S ALL FIGHT THEM TOGETHER".

A huge cheer comes from the million strong group below. Not all of these people have been active members of the resistance, a lot of them have been dormant, hiding for years waiting for Sawada Tsunayoshi to emerge. Now after so long of waiting, finally the man from their dreams has come to lead them into a battle that will decide the fate of every man, woman and child.

"This fight today is where we stand up to them, we stand up to the gods".

"We will look them dead in the face and tell them that we will fight them until the death".

"We are here to fight; we are not afraid".

"We are here today not because this is the day of the gods".

"Because this is the day… OF THE HUMANS".

Once more the crowd cheers while a blonde haired mafia boss looks proudly into the sky. This is one of the other bosses trained by the hitman tutor Reborn, Dino of the Chiavarone.

' _Reborn would be proud of you Tsuna'_.

Yamamoto wipes a tear from his eye, _'All those years ago, who would have thought that no-good Tsuna would lead a force of one million against the army of the gods?'_.

' _Go for it herbivore'_.

"To all of you who are not afraid… FOLLOW ME". Tsuna flies head first into the slave encampment that has become the Yakuza's headquarters.

He leads the army of a million against the forces of heaven themselves.

 **A Small Room in the HQ**

Lucy looks to the door to see a blonde woman she recognises as her ally. "Kara?" she says.

"The mafia have arrived" Kara dumbly states as she walks over and drags Lucy to her feet by the arm. "You are to kill Enma or you will receive the cane".

"NO CANE NO CANE".

"Go" Kara simply says. This causes Lucy to go into a panic and immediately use her glass to destroy the nearest wall, she desperately seeks out the one who must die, Enma.

Lucy flies frantically through the air, her head snapping to and fro between the million faces below her. Her search for Enma is just as frantic and disorganised as it was in Sydney. It is quite pathetic, however, someone arrives to alleviate that pathetic appearance. Someone standing a good distance behind Lucy, floating in the sky with a hammer on his shoulders.

The near-insane Yakuza rests her head on her shoulder as she looks behind her, "Enma?".

"Exactly" comes the reply as the red-haired Mafia boss angrily smashes Lucy down into the ground with a swing from his hammer.

It doesn't take long before Lucy emerges from the crater she created on impact, she is completely incensed, "KILL ENMA, KILL ENMA, KILL ENMA" she shouts as she sends massive amounts of glass shards towards her opponent.

Enma spins his hammer around, treating the action as if it is nothing while he uses his wrist as a pivot point. One after another the countless glass shards are knocked from the sky, it was impressive when Basil did it years ago with a staff but with a hammer it is so many times more difficult.

Enma charges Lucy as soon as she stops firing glass. Plummeting towards the ground and his psychopathic target. The aforementioned psychopath fires a long firm beam of glass towards Enma, seemingly no way to dodge it holding such a heavy weapon.

Lucy laughs euphorically, "Try dodging, try dodging, can't dodge, can't dodge".

Despite the massive weight of his weapon, Enma dodges as if it is nothing. This is the talent that only one other man has ever been able to cultivate. This is wielding the heavy as if it were light.

While Lucy adopts an expression of confusion Enma does not wait for her to compose herself, he swings his hammer at her head with his full power.

The ultimate dying will flame burns brightly around him, carrying on the will of the Arcobaleno and the Shimon. _'There is no dodging this one, take on the rage of my family'_.

The raven-haired Yakuza creates a barrier above her just in time, the thick glass barrier collides with the hammer creating a loud shattering effect. Despite the barrier however, the hammer still passes through it.

Enma hits Lucy with a might slightly short of full power. Nevertheless, the impact is hard, driving Lucy back along the floor, skid marks where he feet have been fighting for grip can be seen in the dirty grassy surface.

"NO CANE, KILL ENMA, KILL ENMA, NO CANE" the crazed Yakuza chants her new mantra.

"I don't care what they told you Enma" begins, "You will pay for killing Basil, for killing Reborn, for killing the Shimon…".

"YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL OF MY DEAD COMRADES".


	76. Old Enemies

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – OLD ENEMIES**

 **Above the Battlefield**

The battle rages on between the Mafia and the Yakuza, two forces of enormous size, one of the enslaved, one of the free doing battle to decide the fate of the planet. The smell of blood is strong in the air to those who could detect it, the sense of bloodlust even stronger can be felt by everyone in the area.

Above the battlefield floats the observer, Kara of the Yakuza. The young tattooed woman's eyes dart about as she takes aboard all the little battles that are happening, all of the small encounters between those of mediocre strength and those of small strength. She searches for opportunities to attack small weak groups but finds none, the rebels are too well mixed in with the Yakuza slaves. Kara finds this organisation to be too supreme and almost familiar to her.

Kara continues to scan the warzone, looking for the opportunity to strike someone strong, someone that she could defeat in one hit. Then her eyes come to rest on the strongest person in that category, Hibari Kyoya, the strongest member of the Japanese resistance. Hibari has been a thorn in the side of the Yakuza for many years, it would be very useful if she could dispose of him now.

Kara holds a blade in her hand, it isn't Clarent but it is more than enough to kill Hibari. She slices vertically through the air, creating two strands of light which launch towards Hibari. Two flying sabre attacks.

Two shadowy figures fly through the air. The shadowy figures appear before the two separate swords of light. Kara struggles to make out their identity, the figures were moving so fast. Bang, she hears as the two figures seem to clap their hands together, causing the attack to dissipate.

These two shadowy figures are the last members of the Millefiore family.

Yamamoto and Byakuran.

The duo had used white applause to stop the two attacks. It seems to Kara that not only has the Millefiore boss not lost his talent over recent years he has also acquired a friend of equal talent. In her mind she believes that perhaps Byakuran can be put ahead of Hibari as the strongest outside the great seven mafioso.

Kara frowns at the appearance of King Arthur's successor. "You are back again after all these years".

"Tell me" she continues, "Have you remade Excalibur, do you actually believe that would make something change".

"I have remade Excalibur" nods the rain guardian, maintaining a smile that shows of his fighting spirit as he looks his opponent dead in the eye.

"You're right about something else as well" Byakuran notes as his body gradually undergoes a metamorphosis. This is something that Kara has never seen before, a person, right before her eyes is becoming a sword.

Yamamoto takes a firm hold of the blade known as Excalibur, now personified by his partner Byakuran. "Everything has changed".

Seeing the newly created Excalibur before her Kara wastes no time, quickly bringing Clarent to her hand, she dismisses any notion that the man before her could have made progress with his power. "Nothing has changed".

The blonde haired Yakuza raises the sabre into the air and launches a flying sabre attack straight at Yamamoto. This attack encapsulates the same dark energy as the one that destroyed the old Excalibur in their original battle.

The baseball star raises his sword into the air and waits for the flying attack to approach him. As it gets close he swings Excalibur down as hard as he can, the blade of the legendary sword connecting with the light of its arch-nemesis. The struggle lasts for a few seconds and causes Yamamoto to clench all of his muscles tightly, however, the result is quickly determined.

Together, the Millefiore pair overcame the attack.

The raven-haired mafioso shows a wry smile towards his opponent. "What did I tell you? Everything has changed".

Kara frowns. _'The Yamamoto Takeshi of that last battle would never have been able to block that attack. Is it because of the newly forged Excalibur, or has something changed with the man himself'_.

"So the sword got a little bit stronger" she nonchalantly yells to the mafioso, "Swords always have been and always will be inferior to sabres".

"Would you care to test that out" Yamamoto retorts as he beckons for Kara to attack him. "Let's do it once more, your sabre against my sword".

One of the most loyal Yakuza, a woman who is seen to hardly smile when doing anything other than carrying out gods will, is facing her exact opposite. A man who just wants to enjoy the world for what it is, who wants to find something interesting in everything he does and who is constantly wearing a smile.

Yamamoto's smile proves infectious as Kara begins to smile as well. "You truly are a persistent one… very well, let me take you up on that offer. LET'S TEST IT".

Kara dashes from her starting position, moving so quickly that Yamamoto loses sight of her. As the fair haired Yakuza appears in his blind spot she swings her sword down towards his head. This is a moved that Yamamoto tried years ago, when they fought last he attacked from this position, arguing that she didn't have the strength of arm to block it.

The result of the attack this time… is exactly the same.

Yamamoto blocks the attack with his arm uncomfortably arched behind his back.

"It seems you are making the mistake I made last time" he observes, "You are underestimating me".

 **Elsewhere Above the Battlefield**

Here two of the mafia's strongest float above the battle, watching eagerly, not at the proceedings below but the Yakuza base before them. It has become clear to the truly strong now that what matters is not battle below, it's the battle above.

As it stands the Mafia's force of a million outnumbers the Yakuza's force, it has stronger officers such as Hibari and Lancia and it has far greater morale. Yet despite these factors, the victory below would mean nothing if not accompanied by a victory from above, a victory of the generals.

As such floating above the battlefield are the two remaining members of the great seven mafioso, two people who have been redeemed by Sawada Tsunayoshi, two people who would happily lay down their lives for Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Floating above the battlefield are Vongola Bana, the son of the 1st, and Xanxus, the son of the 9th.

"When he comes Gon is mine to fight" Bana proclaims without looking away from the base.

"Of course" Xanxus replies. He looks at the base to faintly see a wall break, a crazed man with several weight balls emerges. It is the Mafia's insane fighter, Varon. "I already have my opponent".

Varon launches from his standing position towards Xanxus, the mafia he remembers fighting once before, sometime in the past. Varon approaches Xanxus and the Varia leader replies with strategically placed gun shots, driving his crazed opponent to the side. What Xanxus knows very clearly is that he is not on Bana's level, he needs to keep out of his way.

Bana looks at the spot Varon emerged from, only one of the Yakuza leaders could possibly have ordered his release. That said Yakuza leader emerged from the same hole in the wall, it is the loyal one who fought Primo so long ago, Gon.

Gon spots Bana, the only one flying in the air without an opponent and immediately launches a dart towards him, a dart that is considered the greatest ranged weapon attack in the world.

Bana stares at the dart heading towards him and quickly fires an arrow. The two projectiles hit each other in mid-air, cancelling one another's momentum before tumbling down towards the floor.

Seeing his attack deflected, Gon slowly flies towards Bana. The duo fires no shots between themselves, it is if they have subconsciously agreed to a ceasefire as the distance closes. The distance closes, and closes, until the ocean becomes a lake, they are right in front of one another.

"You shouldn't have come back" Gon sighs, "But you are a descendant of Primo".

"You misunderstand the situation Gon" smiles Bana, "This time the Yakuza will die".

"The outcome of this war is unimportant right now, what matters to me is the outcome of this battle".

"I know" the clone nods, "I have already worked out how to beat you".

Gon starts at the bold proclamation from Bana. He would question it but the blonde clone slowly begins to float backwards, creating a distance between the pair that couldn't be spoken across without using voice manipulation like Tsuna did earlier.

"What is he talking about" Gon questions aloud, "Beating me for him… that can't be… the dart fundamentally has more control than the arrow".

Gon decides not to waste time postulating the cause of his opponents new found confidence, he throws a full speed arrow towards Bana, probing to see this improved strength.

Bana spots the dart coming towards him, his supreme eyesight the only reason he is able to see such a tiny weapon. He pulls his bowstring back and fires an arrow to meet the dart. The arrow is not fired with any improved power; the strength is exactly the same as it was in their former fight.

Yet things go differently this time.

Kyoko looks into the sky with fear on her face, her husband is fighting the one man who seemed to be able to defeat him totally and utterly. _'Gon's technique allows him to deflect his darts off of Bana's and hit the boss afterwards. Is my husband going to die in the same way he lost last time'_?

The two ranged weapons collide in mid-air but as once mentioned already, things go differently this time.

The weapons fly in their different directions, the dart up into the sky, the arrow straight ahead, its destination Gon's head. The situation has been reversed, now Bana is controlling the outcome of the collision, despite Gon's technique.

Gon starts and quickly throws a second dart which successfully cancels out the attack.

Bana smiles lightly, _'my strategy worked, Gon, there is far less to you than there seems to be'_.

"How can that be" the elderly Yakuza questions, "The dart has more control than the arrow does it not".

"I have already told you" the mafia's chief policeman begins, "I have already worked out how to beat you".

"I just need to be true to myself".

 **Enma vs Lucy**

The fight between Enma and Lucy, rages on. It's clear that each and every one of their attacks contains true venom. Neither have ever been in a battle where their opponent reeks so strongly of bloodlust, of killing intent. Neither has ever been in such a brutal battle before.

It is fair to say that the pair represents the individual on each side of the conflict who has suffered the most as a result of the war. The raven haired Yakuza, eternally suffering under the threat of being subjected to torture, her mind pushed so far that she has lost a sensible grasp on what is going on. The red haired Mafioso, who has been forced to watch so many of his close friends die before him, his family, Reborn, Basil, the Arcobaleno.

Lucy launches a long thick beam of glass towards Enma, causing the Shimon boss to jump up slightly from the ground. Enma does not use his power to fly, he lands atop the beam and uses it as a running platform as he makes ground towards Lucy. His speed on foot is superior to what it could ever be in the air.

Lucy waves her hands in a splitting motion. Halfway down the beam, just ahead of Enma's running position, part of the glass splinters from the main structure, piercing Enma's weapon wielding hand.

The Shimon boss cannot help but drop the weapon before he catches it with the other hand. Despite using his weaker hand, Enma is still one of the most skilled warriors alive, he quickly uses the hammer to smash the glass piercing his hand before he throws it straight towards Lucy.

Against Enma's expectations, Lucy cleverly forms a pane of angled glass before her, placing it perfectly so that the heavy weapon flies up into the sky. This leaves him defenceless, seeing this he quickly flies into the sky to reclaim his weapon, however, it is too late.

Enma is knocked from the sky by thousands of glass shards. He lands hard on the ground covered in a colour not too dissimilar to his hair. He is covered in the crimson colour of his own blood.

"KILL ENMA KILL ENMA KILL ENMA" Lucy chants as she launches herself towards the injured mafioso.

Enma closes his eyes tightly. _'Dammit, wasn't I supposed to come here and get Reborn's revenge, Basil's revenge… EVERYONE'S REVENGE'_.

The boss of the Shimon family is not filled by fear or sadness but is filled with regret. Unending regret.

He expects to die any second, his opponent too much for him to handle but the sounds of his body being pierced by glass never come, what comes instead is a great thud.

Enma opens his eyes and sees that somebody has knocked Lucy back through the air.

Somebody has saved Enma.

It is Yaru. Kosuke Yaru.

It is Lucy's brother.

"It looks like I made it in time for the party" the green haired man jests. Despite his jests he has no smile on his face, he wears a glum expression as he looks at his own murderous sister.

"What on earth have they done to you Lucy?".

"Lucy…?" the Yakuza mutters, as if she has never heard the word before.

Yaru sighs as he hears how she says the word. It reminds him of the way Varon spoke Kara's name before the last war, she is quickly losing her own sanity.

"Don't you remember me, I'm your brother".

"It's too late Yaru" a teenage girl with striking blonde hair comments as she arrives next to the young man.

This girl clearly has a set of musical instruments on her and that striking blonde hair is something that Enma could never forget, this is the only Yakuza leader to have lost on that day. Reborn's opponent, the musical girl Sakura.

She has grown up.

"She be forever lost to insanity now" the teenager coldly notes.

Yaru nods gently, "It's too late to get her back but it's not too late to save her, wouldn't you agree Sakura?".

"Yes".

Yaru smiles as he hears Sakura's reply. For the last several years these two who betrayed the man proclaiming to be god, they have only had one another to rely upon. They have not been part of any resistance movements, any great rebellions or any such similar thing. They have been running, with only the comfort of one other person.

"Why don't you play a cheerful tune for our friend over there" Yaru begins as he punches his own palm, "I'm going to reacquaint myself with my sister".


	77. Mafia or Yakuza

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – MAFIA OR YAKUZA**

 **Enma vs Lucy**

Enma looks on in confusion, as he sees Yaru ready himself for combat against Lucy. _'Isn't this man one of the leaders of the Yakuza. Yet someone of such cruelty, someone who dared ruin Tsuna's wedding is actively preparing to fight them'_.

Sakura approaches Enma, she doesn't wear a smile on her face but it could also clearly be seen there is no malice in her expression. Is their intention really to help him, as Yaru implied from his statement?

"What are you doing" the bloodied mafia boss asks, "All those years ago, weren't you my enemy".

"I won't be pitied while trying to get revenge for Mr Reborn, his death is partly your fault as well".

"I was just a kid" Yaru begins, "I had no idea what the old man was doing to my sister". Yaru reflects on the kindness that Honda showed him initially and how it gradually turned to cruelty. He was forced to torture his own sister, was he too eventually supposed to end up that way.

"But, this whole thing has become much greater since then" he continues. Back at the start this all seemed like a territory war to the youngster. That's how it was presented, the first contact was made by that man named Randa, he was instructed to inform the mafia they were encroaching on Yakuza territory. Yet since then this war has become about world domination, not just territory.

"Life really has become about one question, one question asked to everyone who you don't know the allegiance of".

"That one question has replaced friend or foe".

"Mafia or Yakuza".

Yaru shrugs as he chuckles, "Back then they were just two sides of a conflict, one was arguably good, one was arguably evil". Once upon a time the Mafia and Yakuza could simply be considered two professional crime organisations, two groups that could never ascend so high in the world.

"But now everything has changed, it has become about fighting for freedom from suppression or fighting for the ascendance of one mighty warrior to the position of god".

"The mafia are heroes and the Yakuza are dictators, or the mafia are criminals and the Yakuza are god's army, those are the two positions that you can take". One position hinted at by Yaru is that of the free human, one who watches the state of the world for what it is. The other is of the slave, or the enforcement officer, someone who has become completely indoctrinated by propaganda.

"I am not like the others, I am not so blind that I would willingly see the whole world bow before one man and obey his every wish".

"Especially that man".

"Mafia or Yakuza…".

"If I had to pick one of those words to describe Sakura and myself… then there is no doubt what I would chose".

"I am… we are…".

"MAFIA".

Sakura smiles as Yaru declares the duo's position. She quickly pulls out her violin and uses her powers to begin healing Enma. "I'll heal him; you hold her off".

"Roger, I'll keep guarding you matter what but remember, he's the only one amongst us who can beat Lucy, you have to heal him".

Once more Lucy jumps into action by firing a long thick beam of glass towards Enma.

' _That will hit Enma if I don't block it'_ Yaru realises.

Instead of evading his sister's attack, the green haired Yakuza… no… the green haired Mafioso raises his boot clad foot and then lowers it down on top of the approaching beam. He pushes the beam down into the floor, relying on the friction caused by the downward force to stop the beam.

Despite the advantage Yaru has in this particular power struggle, he is correct that his sister is stronger than him overall. Lucy doesn't need to wait long before attacking once again, this time she summons a collection of glass shards and fires them towards Yaru.

Again being between Enma and Lucy means that Yaru has no choice but to stand his ground. Now that the glass beam has stopped moving he raises his foot and slams it down again, shattering the beam into thousands of pieces. Swinging his foot through the air, he kicks those newly created glass shards into the ones Lucy is firing, cancelling out the impact.

"HOW MUCH LONGER" Yaru yells over his shoulder.

"DONE" Sakura replies.

Enma looks down at his hands, his ultimate dying will flame burning on them as strongly as ever. "My strength is back". He quickly takes hold of his weapon and prepares to enter the battle.

Lucy fires more glass shards at Yaru, she fires more and more and more until Yaru no longer has recycled glass to retaliate with. Her brother dodges to the side of the attack, leaving Sakura the new target for the glass.

Sakura quickly pulls out her trumpet and plays the loudest note she is capable of, using powerful soundwaves to knock the shards from the sky. Lucy is wide open.

"GO" Yaru yells at the top of his voice.

Lucy hears someone arrive at her side, it is Enma, he used a burst of speed so great that it caused sound to be generated. The Shimon family boss raises the hammer in the sky causing her eyes to widen, she cannot deflect this attack.

"THIS IS FOR REBORN" Enma shouts as he brings the hammer down with his full power.

The result, a direct clean hit.

Lucy has been defeated.

Enma takes several deep breaths, as Fon's message about his technique finally begins to sink in. This is the incredible power of wielding the heavy as if it were light. He has defeated Lucy in a single blow.

He picks his hammer up and lazily places it above his shoulder. He slowly walks towards Lucy and mutters four words, "Time to finish it".

Upon finally reaching the downed Yakuza he raises his hammer high into the air, ready to unleash the killing blow.

Lucy seeing this tightly curls herself into a ball, as if the position will save her from any damage. She could be made of pure diamond, a blow from the hammer would still kill her. Yet something stops the hammer from falling, something gets in the way.

Yaru appears between Enma and Lucy.

"WAIT" he shouts as he places his hands out in front of him, begging Enma to stop. "Please don't do this, she's still my sister".

Enma keeps his hammer raised in the air, as if waiting for Yaru to get out of the way. In response the former Yakuza leader refuses to move. He maintains his position in front of his sister, his eyes slightly watery as he lays his very life on the line to protect his only remaining relative.

"She just afraid" he sobs, "She's afraid of dying".

"I don't care whose relation she is" Enma states coldly. This is the woman who has caused him so much suffering almost single headedly. Although the likes of Kara have killed his friends none of have killed so many as Lucy.

"She is Yakuza, an enemy who killed my tutor Reborn".

Sakura approaches Enma from the side, speaking more gently than she has done in a long time. "The lines were blurred with her long ago, she has been doing all she has to avoid punishment, to avoid torture".

Seeing Enma is still unmoved Sakura's voice becomes more desperate. "If you actually killed her after all this, what right do you have to call yourself mafia. What makes you better than Yakuza".

"Just listen" Yaru says as he points to his sister. Slight whimpers can be heard from his elder sister, "She is crying because she thinks she is going to die. She has just been following orders all this time, what would you have done differently".

Enma starts for a moment before closing his eyes. His grip tightens on the hammer as he realises that Yaru is right, the man has claimed to be mafia for mere minutes yet he is already preaching superior morals to the Shimon family boss. He is already being the better human.

"DAMMIT" Enma shouts, "After all this time waiting, where is my revenge, for Reborn, for Basil, for the Shimon, for the Arcobaleno… WHERE IS THEIR REVENGE".

Enma continues to shout to the new mafioso. "You are all doing this preaching about she has fallen into this terrible mental state because of torture".

"The Yakuza have put me through so much, so why don't you tell me…".

"WHO'S THINKING OF MY MENTAL STATE?".

"WHERE IS MY JUSTICE?".

"It's different for you and her" Sakura points out, sounding less like she is pleading and more like she is explaining something to a young child.

"How is it different?" Enma growls.

"It's different for you in the same way it is different for the two of us" Yaru claims.

"JUST SAY IT ALREADY".

"It's different because we've had someone to hug while we cry" the younger Kosuke sibling finishes.

Enma processes what Yaru has to say and then drops his hammer, tears filling his eyes. He clumsily falls to his backside and years' worth of tears come flooding from his eyes all at once.

Sakura lowers herself to her knees and embraces Enma in a gentle hug. "I will hug you… I will hug you while you cry".

Yaru smiles, content that Enma has decided not to kill his sister. It is the right decision in his mind, it is people who are capable of making decisions like that, difficult decisions despite all their circumstances who are truly what define the mafia.

Yaru finally turns around to see a confused Lucy, she is just beginning to sit up. This is the first time he has seen his sister in years without worrying about whether she will attack. She is no longer desperate to kill, she is no longer yearning for the death of the innocent, she is simply afraid.

Yaru hugs his sister tightly. "I'm here now Lucy, it's your brother Yaru".

"Brother? Yaru?".

"That's right, I won't let them touch you with that cane… not ever again".

Lucy's eyes are filled with tears once more as she tightly reciprocates Yaru's hug. "Brother" she says once more. Yaru is uncertain whether this is her recognising him but he knows for certain that this is her accepting him.

He has saved her.

"There, there, I won't let them touch you ever again, I promise" the brother claims.

"Never again?",

"Never again".

 **Bana vs Gon**

Gon and Bana battle for several minutes continuously, throwing darts and firing arrows in perfect unison. The people below are showered in a constant raining of sharp objects as one after another the pointed weapons knock one another from the sky. The battle appears perfectly even.

Gon notices that Bana's ability to fire each successive shot is a lot slower than his so decides on what he believes to be a sure fire plan. He throws three darts in quick succession, one after another they travel towards Bana, there is no way to stop them all with one arrow.

Bana decides to use three arrows, due to his inferior speed this would normally be impossible, however, he places all three arrows on the string at once, firing them all together. Naturally as a result of this two of the arrows take a wider path than the central one.

' _Two of them are going to miss.'_ Gon notes.

Suddenly the path of the two outer most arrows change, they travel back towards the central path. The result of this is that Bana successfully knocks all three of the darts from the air at the same time, an incredible curving shot that only one man in the world could have ever pulled off.

Gon starts as he sees the display of skill before him. His distraction lasts just long enough for Bana to dash towards him. _'Dammit',_ he reaches for a dart from his pocket. _'I won't make it in time'_.

Bana swings the bow in his hands into Gon's sternum, sending the Yakuza leader crashing down into the ground. A direct hit, the first he has ever landed on this man.

Gon gradually picks himself up. "I don't get it" he begins speaking aloud, "Why is my superior control not taking effect".

The elderly man looks at his opponent floating in the skies above him. He is surrounded by weaker members of the Yakuza and weaker members of the Mafia yet none of them tangle with him. They all know he is too strong for them.

' _In that case I will just wait for him to fire and watch carefully what happens'_.

That doesn't go according to plan for the old man. Bana's eyesight is perhaps the keenest in the world, he doesn't miss that Gon has no intention to attack first. The Mafia Policeman seizes on the opportunity to once more close the distance between them.

' _HE'S GOING FOR ANOTHER MELEE ATTACK'_ Gon notices. His eyes then widen greatly, _'IS IT BECAUSE OF THAT?'_.

Bana notices the widening of Gon's eyes, "You finally understand" he decides as he once more swings his bow towards the head of his opponent.

It is the second hit.

Once more Bana hits Gon hard, down into the ground, this time starting from a grounded position.

The shorter fall means that Gon maintains more momentum, the hard impact on the rough surface causing a spell of temporary paralysis.

Bana has won.

Gon smiles despite his bad condition. "You really did use your head, just like Primo would have done".

"I had melee superiority all along" smiles Bana, "And I noticed how your darts hit me last time, it is because I always fired first, then you could choose how our shots collided".

The blonde haired mafioso turns his back on Gon, "Your plan was half hearted and only took one probably path into account, it failed to even consider the other paths".

Bana looks before him, while the rest of the mafia police are fighting one has found a free moment in combat to find him. It is naturally his wife, Vongola Kyoko. The couple smile to one another, Bana then decides to take the first step away from his most challenging battle ever, straight towards the woman he cares most about.

Upon taking the first step Bana realises how exhausted he is, how tired his legs are. He begins to fall uncontrollably towards the ground. Quick thinking and the use of his bow as a walking aide manage to hold him up long enough for Kyoko to run over and catch her boss.

Bana laughs, "I'm finally glad I took this thing up all those years ago now".

"You better be talking about your weapon and not your wife" Kyoko huffs in reply.

Gon takes his turn to laugh, causing the couple to turn around and face him. "There is a cruel irony in all of this. In me being defeated by a clone of… no, being defeated by the son of Primo".

"You won because you were always better than me right?".

"NO" Bana asserts, causing the smile to disappear from Gon's face. "That's not it, the reason I considered all the possibilities in this battle and you didn't. It's because I was fighting for the cause I believed in, unlike you I truly wanted to win for something, for someone, so I did".

"But Primo told me loyalty was the most important thing" rebukes Gon, recalling how so long ago he asked Bana's father to help him revolt, to help him betray the Yakuza.

"Then perhaps e was simply testing you, or saying you should put more effort into changing your cause" decides Bana, "This test was set up by Primo, by divine influence, his son vs his admirer. It is my victory".

The Yakuza leader sighs deeply, "You are right in some ways but wrong in others".

"You are right that I misunderstood Primo's message, that you won because you were fighting for those that you cared for".

"And how was I wrong exactly" Bana questions.

"It is because of those statements that your earlier one was wrong…".

"… you are simply better than me, son of Primo, Vongola Bana".

 **Xanxus vs Varon**

Varon and Xanxus are members of the strongest seven each side set aside in the previous battle. Perhaps these two hold the positions as the weakest forces in their respective sides elite tier, yet they both deserve their places, they are both truly strong.

Xanxus is the rage filled son of the 9th Vongola boss, a man who truly knows no limits to the depth of his anger. Through spending time with Sawada Tsunayoshi, Squalo and his father he has softened his hate but he still keeps it for the man before him. This is one of the chiefs of the Yakuza, the ones who killed his father.

Varon is completely insane, with very little of his mental capacity left intact from the years of psychological torment he spent at the hands of Honda and those he ordered about. There is no knowing what this man will do, he seemingly has no motivation left in life other than to follow orders. He is truly dangerous.

Varon uses weighted balls, floating in the air he throws three of these heavy balls towards Xanxus with a force that makes shotput throwers look like a joke. Very few people could avoid these attacks.

Fortunately, from a mafia point of view one of the few is Xanxus. He fires his dual pistols, a keepsake he inherited from the 7th to knock the first two balls from the sky. As for the third he ducks beneath it.

After ducking beneath the third ball Xanxus is greeted by the image of an incoming attacker. Varon uses another weighted ball to smack him on the underside of the chin, driving him up even further into the sky.

Xanxus upward momentum is short lived, he counters it by firing both of his guns upwards at once. A method of high speed movement he showed off in the ring contest he had with Tsuna back when he first appeared within the family.

As the son of the 9th plummets back down towards the insane warrior. Varon throws another ball up towards Xanxus. This one is narrowly avoided by a well-placed shot, just off centre meaning the ball isn't deflected but is instead put slightly off course, so it misses its target.

Xanxus final position is at point blank to Varon. "KILL, KILL, KILL" the Yakuza fighter chants as he brutally swings his heavy ball towards the head of Xanxus. There is no way to survive that attack.

Varon's attack stops right in its tracks though. It is stopped by the firing of a gun, the gun fired by the 9th's son, the man Tsuna chose to be the 11th boss. That man is Xanxus. The bullet pierces Varon's chest, just aside of his heart, expertly placed to avoid the death of the Yakuza man.

"Kill… kill… kill" he mutters in an increasingly quiet tone as he falls towards the floor.

Xanxus lowers himself to the ground, landing just before his opponent. He doesn't take the opportunity to kill him. This is Xanxus' greatest act of mercy.

"You know, through what I heard of that Lucy girl's story, I kind of understand how you were brought to this point" Xanxus declares. There are indeed parallels between Lucy and Varon, the former was saved by her brother but it is far too late for Varon now.

"But it's only possible because you were evil in the first place" lecture the raven haired Varia boss, "I know because I used to be the same".

"But I think what I have truly learned since meeting Sawada Tsunayoshi… is that there is no longer any possibility of me ending up like you".

Xanxus turns his back on Varon and slowly walks away. One astounding thing stops him his tracks. Perhaps the last recognisable attempt at conversation Varon would ever make.

"W… Why?".

"Why you ask…" Xanxus begins without turning to look at Varon.

"It's because I have friends".


	78. Kara

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – KARA**

 **Kara vs Yamamoto and Byakuran**

Kara was formerly looking at the battlefield, scanning for opportunities to attack the weaker members of the mafia. In the previous battle this would have still been possible but it is not anymore, something about Yamamoto Takeshi has changed, something greater than just his sword. That is not to say that the sword has not changed, since Byakuran possessed the dead body of Excalibur the power of the weapon has increased dramatically. Nevertheless, the Millefiore boss' attitude has changed, he has a cutting edge about him that he has never had before.

She feels a sense of nervousness; god will not be pleased about the state of the battle below. Slowly but surely the million strong force headed by the mafia are overcoming the indoctrinated force gathered up over years of Yakuza hard work. That alone is not enough to cause her to feel such unease however, if the Yakuza were to win the battle above it would be easy to kill all of those down below. Yet she doesn't have full confidence in winning this battle in the sky.

Coldly her gaze meets that of Yamamoto's, searching to see if his eyes telegraph the same doubt she is certain her own do. They do not, the Vongola's rain guardian, the Millefiore boss, the baseball player, there are so many ways to describe Yamamoto Takeshi but unconfident is not one of them. He doesn't though look certain of victory or boastful, he instead looks determined.

' _No matter what, his will to win this battle cannot be greater than mine'_ Kara decides as she raises her sabre vertically into the sky above her.

"Nobody has ever survived this attack from Clarent" she declares as dark energy begins gathering on her sabre. "I won't hold anything back".

"I don't intend to move" Yamamoto claims in return. He knows that the greatest priority in this battle is to win but he still has his pride as a swordsman. More than anything else, what he wants is to defeat Kara, totally and utterly. The Shigure Shoen Ryu must be perfect.

The dark energy finishes gathering on the sabre known as Clarent, the nemesis of Excalibur. Kara grunts loudly as she swings the blade down hard. A flying sabre attack the result, light hurtles towards Yamamoto, light that has never failed to kill any opponent Kara has deemed necessary.

From below various members of the Varia and Vongola guardians are keeping one eye on the battle, one of them is more keenly focused on it than the rest, the rain officer of the Varia, Squalo. Squalo is Yamamoto's former mentor and counts himself amongst the baseball star's friends. It is also a matter of personal pride to him that the one swordsman who defeated him should prove to be the greatest in history.

"Oi, Squalo" Ryohei shouts while delivering his extreme punch to an enforcement officer. "Do you think Yamamoto can withstand that attack".

Squalo looks intently at Kara's sabre, he looks at the way energy gathers on it and reflects of what little he has seen of the technique. "Her technique seems to have no weaknesses and that attack is stronger than any I have ever seen performed with a blade. So no, I don't".

Squalo then smiles as he looks towards Yamamoto. "However, your technique is perfect, right Yamamoto?".

The flying sabre attack reaches Yamamoto who blocks it using Excalibur. Despite the full might of Yamamoto and Byakuran combined together they cannot push back the attack.

" _If we continue to put out full might into defending this and don't overcome it all our energy will be drained"_ Byakuran informs his partner, _"What are you going to do"._

Kara shares the assumptions of Byakuran, _"You will use up all your energy Yamamoto Takeshi, how are you going to survive?"._

Finally, the result of the attack happens, something that causes the hearts of everyone to tremble. As if he just stopped trying, Yamamoto's sword flew into the air and the attack hits him head on. In this exchange for power the winner is Kara.

Yamamoto begins to slowly fall backwards down to the ground.

"That can't be" Squalo points his shaking hand towards his falling comrade.

Elsewhere on the battlefield Haru has her eyes on this battle, she watches as the Millefiore boss falls from the sky. _'Are you kidding… Hayato would never have admitted it but he put his faith in you to look after the 10_ _th_ _when you became Millefiore boss'_.

"Don't tell me you've come so far to let Juu's father down, don't you dare baseball brain" she says aloud this time.

Kara watches as the sword knocked from Yamamoto's hand travels down slightly above him. Something is different though, the sword is falling faster than the man himself. _'Is it because of his telekinesis'_ she asks herself, _'Is it because that man is controlling it? That man who became the sword'_.

Suddenly Excalibur twists unnaturally in the air, landing perfectly in the open hand of Yamamoto.

 **Yamamoto's Subconscious**

Yamamoto can only perceive the world within his own head, it's like he is walking in a desert. The driest spot in the world, he can't feel anything, it all feels wrong. He walks around lost, not sure how to return to the outside world. Unsure of how to save his friends.

Then Yamamoto sees someone within the desert world of his own head. That man is his mentor, his partner, Byakuran. "Did me technique work" Yamamoto asks his teacher, eager to know whether he still has the chance to save his friends.

"Everything went as you planned it" the former Millefiore boss replies, "But the ball is in your court now, my hilt is in your hands, you have to let your power return to you".

"Why has my power not returned already" Yamamoto asks. His plan should have ensured that he would survive the blow, that no matter what condition he was in that he would be able to keep on going. Despite all that he is stuck here, in his own subconscious world.

"It's because of who is stood in front of you" Byakuran answers, "Do you understand what I mean".

The rain guardian shakes his head, "No".

"The one you see standing before you now is the last remnant of the Millefiore family you swore to protect, the only one who survived back then" the white haired mafioso begins. "You see me as your greatest failure that is why your power won't come back, understand?".

Yamamoto frowns as he keeps his thoughts private. _'Is that really how I feel deep down inside, is this the sort of insight into my soul that only Byakuran can see'_.

Byakuran smiles and turns his back on his partner. "It's too bad really, I would have quite liked to have seen you defeat Kara, to save what is left of the Mafia but you don't have an answer within you. See you, partner".

As Byakuran begins to walk away Yamamoto calls after him. "Wait".

"I have something I've always wanted to hear you say, at least spare me that before you go".

"What's that" Byakuran says dispassionately.

"Will you at least once call me Takeshi".

Byakuran turns around with an expression of surprise. Why ask such a thing now of all times, on death's door, so close to the end when he has failed and his closest ally is turning his back on him. After all the time they have spent together not once has Byakuran seen anyone refer to the new Millefiore boss as Takeshi and now he wants him to do it.

"I think the true problem is that you don't understand what I see" Yamamoto begins, "After all these years you still don't get it".

"When I look at you I don't see the death of the Millefiore, I don't see the last member of the Millefiore family".

"I see the man called Byakuran".

"I see the man that I fell in love with".

"Yamamoto…" Byakuran whispers, a solitary tear falling from his eye.

"I understand what is wrong, I am still someone with a rain dying will flame and as I look around this place I see not a drop of water. The water in this world is linked with the thing I want most that's why it is truly dry right now, begins I am so far away from your heart".

"The water in this world is the power I so desperately seek, so please don't speak to me as the last Millefiore, speak to me as Byakuran".

Byakuran turns to his partner with a smile on his face. "You've got it… Takeshi".

Rain begins to fall in the Yamamoto's inner world as the duo stare lovingly at one another. A smile is fixed on both their faces as the swordsman makes a suggestion. "Let's go beat the Yakuza, not as a baseball player. Not as a mafia boss. Not as a swordsman. Not as a sword. Not as a Millefiore".

"Let's go and win as Yamamoto and Byakuran".

"Yeah".

 **Kara vs Yamamoto and Byakuran**

Kara watches as power begins to flow from the blade of Excalibur into the body of the falling Yamamoto Takeshi. _'What the hell is going on, how is the power flowing from the sword'_.

Without warning Yamamoto's muscles begin to move once more, his hand grips hold of Excalibur tightly and dying will flames burn intensely around him as he returns to an upright position.

"He's getting up" Haru yells. _'Do you see this Hayato'_.

"Yamamoto is taking it to the extreme" Ryohei shouts.

"VOI, that's the way Yamamoto" adds Squalo.

"How the hell… how the hell are you back" Kara asks. "I felt your energy leave your body, you were dead not a second ago". This is the truth, not two seconds ago Yamamoto was falling through the air his body lifeless as not once trace of dying will flame could be found on him.

"This is my newest technique" Yamamoto declares, "I give all of my energy, my life force to the one I trust most in this world".

"I give all of my energy to Byakuran and then he gives it all back to me".

"That isn't possible" Kara shouts at the top her voice. "A blade can only take energy from its master, it can never return it back".

"That's the difference between you and I. I trust my blade, I love my blade, there is nothing that can come between me and this individual in my hands. No matter whether the sky turns dark or oceans turn to blood he will always be my first allegiance".

"Then I will shatter even that allegiance" Kara proclaims as she readies her sword for combat. She places it out to her sword and bends her knees slightly, the optimum fighting position for her technique.

Yamamoto looks at Kara's position; he throws Excalibur into the air as he runs towards his Yakuza opponent. He is bearing down on her at a great speed but she is not impatient she waits for the optimum moment to attack.

As energy begins to gather on her blade she is distracted by something above, it is not the blade of Excalibur, it is the winged mafioso Byakuran. Byakuran falls towards Kara and punches her hard when he arrives above her, driving her down towards the ground.

Yamamoto dissipates his wings causing himself to tumble after Kara. They are positioned ten metres apart as they fall through the sky, Kara closer to the ground than Yamamoto. The Yakuza sabre user fires a flying sabre attack towards her opponent, determined to catch him while he is unarmed.

In the meantime, Byakuran has turned back into Excalibur and plummets at an even greater rate, conveniently falling into Yamamoto's hand once more. The rain guardian uses his returning sword to counter the flying sabre attack, this time perfectly cancelling it out.

Kara seeing this hasn't affected Yamamoto resigns herself to putting her entire power into one attack. Once more dark energy gathers on her sabre before she sends it flying towards Yamamoto, she won't give him the chance to use his revival technique twice, he can't deflect this even with Excalibur.

Byakuran once more returns to his human form and he and Yamamoto momentarily take hold of one another's hands. They then use their respective arm strengths to push away from each other. The flying sabre attack travels perfectly between them.

One more metamorphosis, the sword of Excalibur is here again. Yamamoto catches the sword using his power of telekinesis. Since Kara has just launched an all-out attack and missed the both of them she is wide open.

Yamamoto gives all the power he can spare to Byakuran and together they launch the strongest attack they can must. A flying sword attack of their own, driving Kara down into the ground with enough force to kill a dinosaur.

Squalo stares on in awe, "VOI, he won, despite having less power he won. He actually won". The rain officer stares proudly at the scene before him as he comes to realise why his former student was able to attain victory. "No, perhaps it would be right to say they won… always value your blade right Yamamoto".

The rain guardian lands squarely before Kara, Byakuran returning to his human form next to him. The last of the Millefiore have succeeded, they have played their part in this war. They turn to each other and share a quick hug.

"Do you believe our message reached her" Byakuran asks, "Do you believe she may have been freed of her undying loyalty to the Yakuza. Even if only at the last moment".

"There's only one way to find out" Yamamoto decides as he picks up Clarent by the blade. "This blade holds the dying wishes of Kara within it, perhaps at the last moment her dying will was preserved within this thing".

Yamamoto holds the blade between him and Byakuran. The white haired mafioso nods and takes hold of the blade slightly further along than his partner. Together, they place the hilt of the sabre gently into Kara's hands.

Kara coughs deeply as breath returns to her lungs, she firmly grips the hilt, "You bastards, I will kill you".

Yamamoto laughs irking the Yakuza sabre user. "Damn, you what do you think is so funny".

"You've already admitted defeat" Byakuran suggests, "If only for a moment you put your faith in that blade, you loved that blade more than anything else in the world". Such a technique of preserving your life by giving it to your blade has only been done twice in history, both times in the last few minutes by Kara and Yamamoto.

"You valued Clarent more than your god" Yamamoto explains, "You will have freed yourself".

Kara looks at Byakuran and Yamamoto, the duo before her. They are linked together by the shoulders, _'Dammit do you really care for one another that much'_.

She remains defiant despite the claims of the Millefiore couple, "There is nobody I care about more than my god".

"Then prove it" Yamamoto requests as he lifts his foot up above the blade that is Clarent. "I'll smash it".

Kara tries to lift the blade to get it away from Yamamoto but realises she has no strength left in her arm. "Please… don't… don't break the sabre".

"You've just admitted it yourself" Byakuran smiles.

' _Can you really care for a blade so deeply. Do I care for a blade more than I do god'?_ Once more Kara looks at the faces of Yamamoto and Byakuran before she makes her final decision.

"You win; I won't fight for the Yakuza anymore".

"To be able to hold such a close bond with Excalibur, I can't help but feel you truly are the successor to King Arthur Yamamoto Takeshi".

"But you have to remain vigilant, this battle is far from over yet. He is still fighting your saviour".

"And there is one thing I have to tell god before he dies… something that might change everything".

 **Tsuna vs Honda**

Honda is having no luck in this fight. This man he is fighting is not the Sawada Tsunayoshi of several years prior. It could be felt that even while using ultimate mode he was stronger than last time. This rainbow ultimate mode however, it is entirely different, it is powerful on a new level.

Honda decides to activate his power boosting technique.

Overdrive.

Following the activation of overdrive things change dramatically. The two are wielding the same level of power but Honda clearly has a slight advantage, an advantage brought on by years of experience. An advantage that Tsuna can't hope to overcome. It is not for lack of trying, the Vongola boss attempts punches, kicks, blasts of flame, uppercuts, backhands, sweeps but nothing works. No matter what he tries Honda seems to have some perfect counter stored away for it.

The Yakuza boss laughs hysterically, "All these people, the millions, they have depended on you, fought for you and believed in you all this time".

"It's quite funny that despite all of this you still aren't strong enough to beat me".

"GOD" a shouting voice comes from the nearby ground. It is from Kara. Clearly she no longer has the power to fly, it looks like she has been pushing herself greatly just to limp over here but she has forced herself regardless.

"Our forces are retreating" she shouts.

"Why are you telling that to me" Honda furiously rebukes, "Go and kill them, STOP BEING USELESS".

"Useless..." Kara speaks the word again under her breath, as if it is the most painful thing in the world.

"Look around you, if you had done your job properly and killed them when I told you this wouldn't have happened" Honda practically screams at his subordinate.

"Enma is still here, Yamamoto is still here, Sawada is still here… this is all your fault".

Honda once again begins to tangle with Tsuna, despite his frustration his superior technique does not give the latter any advantage. Still attempt after attempt is made by the Vongola boss with no success.

Kara yells once more. "GOD… I'm not able to…".

"Why are you still bugging me" Honda screams even more vocally towards the blonde Yakuza, "GO AND KILL THEM".

"I AM YOUR DAUGHTER".

A pause comes in the combat as this news is broken. Not only is Honda surprised but so is Tsuna. After so long of it being a mystery they finally understand why Kara demonstrates such undying loyalty towards her the self-proclaimed god. It is because he is her father.

"You're my daughter?" he asks with a much quieter voice.

"Yes" Kara answers.

"My daughter huh… DO YOU THINK I CARE".

Kara starts as her father continues to yell hysterically down to her. "I'm god himself, do you really think I can remember every woman I've enjoyed in my life".

"The amount of children I have in this world, I don't know and I don't care. I've probably killed half of them myself".

"As far as I'm concerned you're just another slave who isn't doing their job".

As Kara's face becomes sadder and sadder she cannot think of words to express her misery. For so many years now she has loyally served her father, fed him, tortured others for him, even killed for him yet he does not care in the least. Not only could she not get him to love her but she couldn't even get him to like her.

Before Kara has a chance to speak her father appear before her with a speed she cannot hope to match.

He flattens his palm and drives it straight through his daughter's stomach.

Tears fill Kara's eyes. "Why…".

Honda pulls his hand from Kara and she falls limply to the floor. Once more he laughs as if an insider on the funniest joke in the world. He turns to his opponent, turns to Sawada Tsunayoshi. "Now you see what makes me better than you, there is not a person in this world who I have to put in my eyes. This is the strength I have that you could never obtain".

Tsuna struggles to see through what he believes is an hallucination, or perhaps Dokuro is deliberately projecting an illusion to him, or maybe it is Mukuro from beyond the grave.

All he can see is an image of his daughter, Shiro.

For years he has had to run around without even knowing he had a daughter, the greatest privilege he feels he has ever had. Even now he has been allowed less than three hours to spend with her before he is putting his life on the line. Yet the man before him has spent years next to his daughter, his truly filial daughter who looked at him in awe and he actually cared so little he killed her.

Tsuna can only feel one emotion.

Rage.

Rage flames surround Tsuna's body in such a thick layer that it would be difficult for even Bana to see through them. He has never been this angry, so angry that the rage flames have filled his entire aura and expanded even beyond his rainbow ultimate flame.

He grunts what seems to be a painful grunt, a reflection of his hampered breathing. "YOU… YOU MAKE ME WANT TO BE SICK".

"I'm surprised these rage flames haven't already made me explode… how dare you… HOW DARE YOU SAY THOSE WORDS".

"How dare you speak to a human being in that way".

In that instant Tsuna makes the correct pose with his hands an activates his strongest technique. The zero-point breakthrough, rage edition.

"Honda, for all you've done… I'M GOING TO KILL YOU HERE AND NOW".

Tsuna punches the air repeatedly, sending flame projectiles the shape of his fist towards Honda. They fill the entire sky as if rain, rain made of fire. It is the single most impressive display of power any of the mafia or Yakuza have ever seen.

Honda flies towards Tsuna, dodging all of the fists before arriving at the man himself.

"I said how dare you" Tsuna repeats as he punches Honda in the gut.

The Yakuza boss spits blood as he is sent flying into the ground. A huge crater is presumably formed but is covered by the dusty impact.

The Vongola boss however, does not let up. He once more begins to fire the flame based projectiles at his opponent. This time they have a much narrower path, all heading down to the centre of the dusty patch. Tens become hundreds, hundreds become thousands and thousands become millions of little attacks as Tsuna unleashes his greatest barrage upon his opponent.

The source of his power is rage.

Rage for his daughter.

Tsuna eventually stops only upon complete and utter exhaustion, he no longer has enough power left to fire again.

"Kyoya… is it… is it over".

"Maybe… maybe it's over" the cloud guardian answers, "Sawada… is it over".

Dokuro looks firmly towards the dusty cloud, doing her best to inspect it using the powers of hell she inherited from Mukuro. "I can't sense anything so I think so".

"Yes… I think so".

"It's over".


	79. One Million Beating Hearts

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – ONE MILLION BEATING HEARTS**

 **The Smoking Crater**

This location has become the most important place in the world. It has a small but telling landscape, a crater smoking from the wrath of thousands of rage flames. Tsuna moments ago unleashed his most brutal of barrages on the crater, on Honda. There is only one other person here and that is Kara, Honda's daughter. She lays nearby to the crater, a hole in her stomach and in serious danger of bleeding to death.

A short distance away at the sight of the main battle some of the mafia's chief members are able to faintly see what is going on. The only person who can see in true detail is Vongola Bana but the others all attempt to magnify their eyesight in the same way with varying success. This allows them to have a rough idea of what is going on. At this point only one thing is sure to them though, Honda is dead.

Tsuna isn't comfortable with the situation yet. The tiny amount of energy he retained from his previous attack used to keep him flying above. Then he starts as he hears a rumble.

Honda emerges from the burning crater.

"NOBODY CAN KILL GOD".

As Honda pulls free from the flames and bears down on Tsuna, the Vongola boss realises that there is nothing he can do. He has expended his last traces of dying will flame, there is simply no longer a way to attack.

Honda stops only at close range to his opponent, slapping him disrespectfully into the ground, a small trail appearing where Tsuna is dragged through the dirt. The rainbow ultimate flame that burns brilliantly around him disappears.

He has lost the rainbow ultimate flame.

In the distance Dino has his eyes wide with disbelief. He shakes his head side to side quickly, closing his eyes tightly as he does so, "No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening, not after so much work. There is no way… Tsuna can't lose after coming so far".

Honda lands on the ground before the injured Sawada Tsunayoshi. There is no mafia around to stop him, even if there were they have all been fighting too long to even hold him back. There is nothing to stop him, this war is his.

"I'm going to eviscerate you Sawada Tsunayoshi" he drools childishly while making the proclamation. "You will regret laying your hands on god".

Tsuna is laying on the floor face down but he manages to lift his head if only for a second. "Go to hell" he manages to get out before weakly spitting towards Honda. The saliva never reaches the self-proclaimed god but it is enough to show the utter disrespect and contempt that the Vongola boss has for him.

Honda laughs while he looks down at the Vongola boss. This is his moment, the moment to destroy the Vongola once and for all. Until someone appears above Tsuna's injured body and kicks the Yakuza boss in the chest.

Honda is driven back along the ground, digging his feet into the earth to use friction as a means of stopping his momentum.

The man who kicked him… Kosuke Yaru.

"You're…" Tsuna begins. He has encountered Yaru few times throughout his life yet he still remembers the day they first met. Ironically things have changed greatly, that day Yaru was crashing Tsuna's wedding, this time he is saving him from dying. Such is the change from Yakuza to mafia.

"You bastard" Honda shouts before leaping forward towards Tsuna and Yaru.

"SIS" Yaru shouts.

In that moment a huge glass barrier appears between Honda and Tsuna. Presumably created by Lucy, the barrier is absolutely enormous, something without an end. Tsuna struggles to move his head but moving his eyes left and right he can see no end to the barrier.

"What the hell is this?" Honda asks.

"The first night you helped my sister unlock her powers she came to me and told me how cool it all was" Yaru reminisces, "Before that we were always hunting for food, running from people trying to take advantage of us".

"We decided it would be cool if she could make a barrier that would cover half of the world. That is what is going on right now. This glass barrier has cut off your half of the planet, it runs perfectly around half the world and even traps you in from above".

"Is that even possible" Tsuna asks.

"It is possible" Yaru strongly asserts, "This is a dream of Lucy and I from when were just kids. This is our ultimate protection".

"I will see you caned a million times for this Lucy" his eyes fall on the sister of Yaru who is hidden behind a rock nearby. It is childish but it makes her feel safe as she defies the man who has ordered her torture so many times.

Lucy looks to Yaru.

"You will not be caned" Yaru firmly insists, "Hold him back".

Honda laughs at this suggestion, if this glass barrier covers half the world it must be firmly embedded in its position all it requires is a significant push and it will smash to pieces.

The Yakuza boss flies full force into the barrier so as to make it smash but is surprised when the glass seems to flex in a way that pushes the barrier towards him. _'It's Lucy, she's trying to push me back'_.

Honda grits his teeth, "Do you think you have more power than I do, I am… I AM GOD HIMSELF".

Honda begins to push harder against the barrier, it is as if he is a bottomless pit of strength.

To counter Honda's intensified efforts Yaru approaches the barrier from the other side, kicking it in the exact same place his former boss is hitting from the other side. It is an attempt at cancelling the forces out.

"I won't let you reach Sawada Tsunayoshi" Yaru shouts as he pushes with all of his might against the barrier.

Tsuna watches in awe as the Kosuke siblings who collectively ruined his wedding put their lives on the line to defend him. He is at last distracted by the sound of a violin to his side. A teenage girl with striking blonde hair is the performer.

"Who are you" Tsuna asks.

"Just shut up and let me heal you" Sakura answers in reply, as if unknowing of the fact Tsuna held her life in his hands.

Tsuna smiles gratefully while Honda continues to yell hysterically, "I've already made this clear to you haven't I… you are incapable of holding me back". After announcing this Honda continues to push the barrier even harder than before causing a great deal of curvature to be seen along the length of the glass prison.

"Sakura can't you go any faster" Yaru shouts over his shoulder.

"I can only go at one speed idiot" Sakura retorts angrily, "Push harder".

"Is this your answer to the question Yaru" Honda asks rhetorically, "Yakuza or mafia…". The elderly man begins to laugh manically "You've chosen to oppose god".

"I've chosen the right side" Yaru replies, "I've chosen mafia".

One more man then arrives at the site of the battle, this is another traitor to the Yakuza. The man humbled by Vongola Bana, this is the dart thrower Gon.

"I have decided the same" Gon informs his former master as he too begins pushing the glass against the dictator.

Kara's eyes have long since been blurry as a result of her blood loss but she vaguely recognises the silhouette of a woman approaching her. "Who… who goes there" she manages to speak, "What are you doing".

"I told you he was good for nothing, right Kara" the woman slowly walks up to Kara before leaning down and wrapping some dressing around her open wound. This woman is the current Vongola Storm Guardian, the resistances chief organiser.

This is Ellen.

If the others were present they would be shocked to hear Kara's reply. Shocked to hear a solitary word escape her lips.

"Mother…".

Kara closes her eyes once and opens them again, a weak attempt to confirm the woman before her isn't an illusion. Upon opening her eyes to still see Ellen she begins to cry, "I wanted to believe, I wanted to believe in him, I wanted to so badly".

"I know" Ellen replies, "Now there is only one thing left to do".

Kara is shocked that despite her mother's lack of supernatural strength she too joins the Kosuke siblings in pushing the barrier back against Honda, against the man who kidnapped her so long ago, against the mother of her child.

Honda's daughter realises that every little bit of strength helps and despite her poor health somehow struggles to her feet. Reinvigorated by her mother's appearance she leans on the barrier with her full weight. Thus is complete the Yakuza rebellion, now Honda has no allies.

Despite his bad situation the self-proclaimed god continues to laugh as if he has lost his senses. "Is that the best you can all do; this is nowhere near enough". His boasts ring true as he increases the force he is using once again.

This is overdrive.

The glass bends to near breaking point yet somehow a faint smiles comes to Yaru's face. "I think you are underestimating the hatred this world has for you, god".

Honda questions in his head what Yaru means until he looks over his shoulder. There is a rapidly approaching force that the mafia brought with them. There is the force of one million rebels.

"EVERYONE HOLD BACK THIS BARRIER" Dino yells at the top of his lungs, "DON'T LET HONDA GET CLOSE TO TSUNA".

The sight of one million people protecting one man causes the jaws of both Tsuna and Honda to drop. This is something that perhaps everyone except the two of them understood, just how importantly people placed them in their hearts.

"Everyone…" Tsuna smiles.

"Shut up and concentrate on getting better" Sakura yells, completely uninterested in the arrival of such a gargantuan army.

Tsuna decides that she has a point before he closes his eyes and concentrates on restoring his energy. He relaxes every muscle in his body and concentrates on what Reborn told him was the most important part of the dying will flame, the will.

"Done" Sakura announces, causing Tsuna to quickly rise to his feet, "But what are you going to do now?".

Tsuna thinks back to the data Gokudera and Haru analysed and steels himself. "Everyone hold that barrier back".

Tsuna then flies into the air, well behind Yaru but in a position such that Honda can see him. He then brings the rainbow ultimate flame back and begins flickering between the plus and zero states.

"What is the boss thinking" Xanxus asks, "What zero-point breakthrough is he going to use".

Honda, seeing that Tsuna is airborne once again naturally steps up his efforts. In spite of his million strong opposition, using the power of overdrive he manages to bend the glass slightly back towards the Mafia again.

"This strength" Bana starts, "Is this man's power really bottomless?".

"VOI, Shut up and push" Squalo shouts, "EVERYBODY PUSH".

Xanxus joins his rain officer in issuing that order. "That's right trash, if I see a single one of you not pushing I will turn you into ash".

"THAT'S RIGHT PUSH" Enma shouts, fuelled by the anger, the dying will of so many who believed in him.

Tsuna's sky flame turns into a hollow and the sun flame appears at the centre of it. This is much the same as when he first discovered such a thing to be possible back in a resistance camp.

"He's going to do it with that flame" Ellen exclaims, "What will happen".

"Mother, what's happening" Kara asks.

"That is the rainbow flame that Tsuna has worked all these years to obtain, if he performs the zero-point breakthrough with that, we win".

Slowly but surely Tsuna's hollow ring fills up, firstly after the appearance of the yellow sun flame comes the green thunder flame, the flame that his brother is renowned for using. Then the red cloud flame joins in, the dying will of his closest friend Gokudera Hayato.

"That's right Tsuna" Bana encourages under his breath, "EVERYONE PUSH".

"PUSH TO THE EXTREME" orders Ryohei, desperate to protect his sworn brother.

Flames continue to appear in the circle. Next in the order comes the rain flame that Yamamoto used earlier to defeat Kara, a flame filled with serenity. Then comes the mist flame used by his wife, used by Rokudo Mukuro, the man who first gave his life in this conflict against the Yakuza.

"WITNESS THIS YAKUZA" Tsuna shouts as the ground begins to shake as a result of the countering forces.

"YOUR END COMES WITH THIS FLAME THAT BURNS WITH THE PASSION…".

"IT BURNS WITH THE PASSION OF A MILLION BEATING HEARTS".

The shouting orders of the officers on the ground has now become a combined chant for the crowd. "Push, push, push, push" they chant as they work together to hold Honda back.

Seeing the army of a million helping him from below. Tsuna lowers his head, he recalls all the people that died for him.

He recalls his parents.

He recalls Reborn.

He recalls Mukuro.

He recalls Basil.

He recalls the Shimon.

He recalls Belphegor.

He recalls the Millefiore

He recalls the Arcobaleno.

And lastly he recalls Gokudera.

Tears fill his eyes the dead are all forefront in his mind. So many have given their lives to get him to this point and he finally believes with all his heart that he won't let them down.

"Everyone… thank you".

"THANK YOU SO MUCH".

"Do it Tsuna" Ellen mutters under her breath, she knows that the boss can't hear him but she knows exactly how he feels. All of the dead are travelling through her mind as well.

Finally, the purple cloud flame sported by Hibari Kyoya appears in Tsuna's circle. Then all of the flames begin to vanish and reappear, flashing at a low frequency.

Tsuna is flickering between plus and minus.

The crowd lets out an enormous cheer as excitement overcomes them. This is truly it in all of their minds, Tsuna is going to overcome Honda. Before the might of a million beating hearts even god himself is unable to stop it.

"DO IT, DO IT TSUNA" Dino shouts.

"GO FOR IT" Ryohei adds.

"YOU'VE GOT THIS" the sun policewoman Kyoko insists.

"DO IT FOR MOTHER AND FATHER" Lambo yells.

"DO IT" comes Ellen's voice atop all the others.

"COME ON" Yamamoto and Byakuran say together.

"DO IT FOR SHIRO" shouts Dokuro.

"WE'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH HERBIVORE" comes the voice of the usually silent Hibari Kyoya.

Then Tsuna goes into the minus state.


	80. The Final Flame

**THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – THE FINAL FLAME**

 **At the Glass Barrier**

Honda and the million have stopped pushing on the glass barrier. It would be too late to prevent anything now, they simply remain still, wherever they are stood and look towards Sawada Tsunayoshi who has just gone into the minus state. The minus state has always brought out great results, custom, first edition, serene edition, rage edition yet never has it been used on a flame such as this. What will happen.

"Nothing…" Haru mutters, shocked about the lack of reaction considering the years of work she put into the flame. "Nothing is happening".

Many people share Haru's feelings, upset that nothing is happening but Honda doesn't share their reaction. He is upset for an entirely different reason, shaking his head side to side in small arcs he feels what is coming. _'This can't seriously be about to happen'_.

Then a rainbow flame appears within Tsuna's aura. It is the same size as before but each and every one of the colours burns with much greater intensity than previously. This is not the same flame; this is an entirely new flame.

Tsuna opens his mouth and despite his whisper he uses his flame to project his voice to every one of the million gathered.

"This is the flame of a million hearts".

Yaru nods to his sister who makes the barrier disappear. The resistance members, the rebelling Yakuza, the mafia with years of service, they all cheer and dance around with joy. There is a look of certainty on the boss' face, one that says he truly believes he will win.

Honda grinds his teeth together, although he can feel the power radiating from his mafia sourced nemesis he refuses to believe that he can be beat. He launches towards Tsuna and punches him in the head.

Tsuna's flame disappears.

He begins to fall back down towards the ground.

The resistance members all stop cheering and their jaws are held agape. Surely in their minds there is no way that Tsuna would reveal such a power increase and go down with only a single hit. Even before he was managing to hold his own against Honda when using overdrive.

The Vongola boss, the 10th is not one to disappoint.

He stops falling backwards through the air and clenches his fists.

The flame returns.

The crowd below begins to cheer with euphoria once again. Despite taking a full force hit from the leader of the Yakuza, their leader is still alive and fighting.

"This is impossible… a technique stronger than overdrive doesn't exist" Honda proclaims as he looks into the unwavering eyes of Sawada Tsunayoshi. "IT DOESN'T EXIST".

Honda continues to let his temper get the better of him he throws consecutive punches as hard as he can only for Tsuna to casually block each and every one of them before catching the last one.

With Honda's fist firmly in hand Tsuna taunts him, "Is this the power… is this the power of a god?".

"I AM A GOD… THIS IS THE POWER OF A GOD".

"I see" Tsuna smiles lightly, "Then this flame is the voice of my friends from beyond the grave". With that declaration Tsuna punches Honda hard in the chest, sending the Yakuza leader hurtling through the air.

Honda makes himself big to slow his momentum before refocusing his gaze, he cannot see Tsuna. Something that terrifies him happens, someone places a hand on his shoulder. A quick look identifies the man in question as Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The elderly boss swings his fist behind him in an attempt to decapitate the younger boss. Tsuna dodges the punch though and proceeds to once more hit Honda with his full strength, this time blasting him backwards by punching his face.

Honda resolves to reduce the amount of angles Tsuna can attack from by landing on the ground with his back to the smoking crater and his front facing towards the resistance.

"It's impossible, impossible, this is simply impossible" the old man shouts.

As Tsuna lands before Honda the Yakuza boss continues to shout and scream, "I'm going to end you for what you have done… how dare you… how dare you lay your hands on god".

"Who are you to talk" Tsuna shouts in reply, "For all you have done, to the people of the world, to your own followers, even to your own daughter".

"Honda, I'm the one who is going to end you".

"I've heard enough talk" Honda decides as he gathers flames on his fist, this is the technique he has always used with the most murderous intent, a technique that drives fear into the hearts of so many.

Tsuna begins to activate his countering attack, he begins to charge his X-Burner. His body shakes as the absurd amount of power he now wields passes into the system designed to help him defeat Byakuran so long ago.

"This is divine judgement upon you" Honda shouts as he punches the air before him, sending a huge flame that travels towards Tsuna.

"And this is humanities on judgement of you" Tsuna replies as he too unleashes his ultimate attack into the space before him.

The two flames clash, there is no drawn out power struggle or shouting, it is a simple to the point result.

X-Burner travels on as if unimpeded.

Tsuna's flame wins the clash.

The flame engulfs Honda's body which gradually turns from pale white to a charred block, lines of orange flame drawn over his body.

' _I… I lost'_ he realises as he disappears into the flame.

Huge cheers begin to appear within the crowd at different distances from the battle as the mafia officers inform the rebels of what has happened. They have clashed in an ultimate power struggle.

Tsuna won.

"He did it" Kyoko ecstatically shouts as she hugs Bana, the clone created by Honda, "He really did it".

"I can't believe it" Bana mutters as he hugs his wife tightly.

Elsewhere amongst the billion Enma is surrounded by people hugging, shouting and cheering yet he falls to his knees, happy tears in his eyes. "Basil… Reborn… are you watching this".

"Tsuna got justice for you".

Tsuna turns away from Honda's burning body and begins to walk back towards the resistance members, in the direction he can clearly see his wife running towards him.

"You did it Tsuna…" she begins before gasping.

Tsuna's flame disappears and he begins to fall forward, is if he has lost control of all his muscles.

"TSUNA" Dokuro shouts before she runs too and catches her falling husband.

The 10th chuckles, "Don't worry, I will be fine, I'm just a bit tired".

Dokuro hugs her husband tightly, thinking of all he has had to sacrifice to make it to this point. She thinks of all the times everyone insulted him, all the times they told him he couldn't do it, all the adversity and yet here he is in her arms. The man who freed humanity.

"Did I do it?" he asks, "Did I really do it?".

"Yes, you did it" his wife smiles in reply, "You definitely did it".

The Vongola guardians watch the couple from nearby, also thinking of what they have had to go through. Considering how many years Tsuna and Dokuro have been a couple they haven't been granted as much time together as they deserve. The guardians all resolve in their hearts to take as much work away from them as possible from now on.

"Kyoya" Dino begins.

"We can afford to be sentimental this once" Hibari interrupts Aron's other father by saying. He hugs Dino tightly, "He did it Bronco".

"Yeah, he really did didn't he".

"TO HELL WITH YOUR CELEBRATIONS" comes a voice laden with coughs. A voice that sends many people into wide eyed panic. "YOU THINK I'M DEAD" the voice comes with more coughs.

Honda is still alive.

"HE'S STILL ALIVE" Dino shouts.

"Everyone relax" Yamamoto says quickly, not wanting panic to spread to the rest of the million if at all possible. He is right to be relaxed though, Honda is already on death's door, it is a miracle he is still alive. "It's simple to kill him now".

Kara looks up from the floor at the man who defeated her. "Then hurry up… do it".

Yamamoto nods as he walks over to Honda. Byakuran quickly realises what he intends and turns into Excalibur before flying neatly into the rain guardian's hands. The aforementioned rain guardian then lifts the sword in his hands above Honda's head.

The Yakuza boss laughs deeply, "Since I first created Varon, the prefect insane warrior, I realised that was the Yakuza's future".

"Did you really think Lucy was the first attempt after him I made at doing that, do you think I would only create another one now".

"I'll grant you Lucy was by far the strongest but there are plenty of weaker ones left and you don't have the power within you to take them on".

"If I die all of you are coming to hell with me".

Tsuna closes his eyes tightly, even after defeating Honda there is still more. "No…" he mutters, "We have come so far".

Ellen turns to her daughter, "Kara is what he says true".

"It is" the former Yakuza confirms, "We are all going to die here".

A few people with bodies covered in tattoos arrive, clearly these are Yakuza officers. They still seem to retain their loyalty to Honda from the way they bow before him. These people are evidently still sane though, they can't be the warriors he is talking about.

Honda laughs, "They are here".

He continues to laugh as he looks at the ones kneeling before him, "What are you waiting for, now that you're here?".

"Direct the insane ones".

"Kill them all".

The officer holds his head in shame, "Sir they have... they have…".

"Spit it out" Honda shouts angrily.

"THEY HAVE ALL BEEN DEFEATED".

"What" the Yakuza boss exclaims, "How can that be".

Before his very eyes appears a dark coloured flame, engulfing the Yakuza officers in front of him as if it is nothing.

"Don't get me wrong" a voice comes from the same direction of the flame, "This doesn't make me your friend".

Enma gasps as he sees the newcomer, he is leading a group of Arcobaleno, the Arcobaleno he believed a few seconds ago had met their end in Australia.

A rather tall crazy looking man with a large black hat stands at the front of this group. The man who could perhaps be argued to be the strongest Arcobaleno of them all.

"You're…" Tsuna starts.

"BERMUDA".

The leader of the Vendicare smiles, "I just remembered that I am mafia too".

Honda grinds his teeth, angry that such a thing could happen. How strong would one have to be to defeat all of the insane ones? Who is this man who just appeared proclaiming himself mafia? He is clearly stronger than most of those in the great seven mafioso.

Somehow despite being stuck laying on the ground Honda manages to activate the power called overdrive.

"I will… I will… I will kill you all" he shouts through coughs.

Bermuda uses his power of teleportation, appearing next to Honda and immediately stamping on his chest, causing the Yakuza boss to let out a mouthful of blood and lose his power of overdrive.

"You have my apologies" Bermuda begins, "This war belongs to the Mafia".

"Damn you…. Damn you all… DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM" Honda curses.

"You are god right" smiles Yamamoto.

Dokuro helps Tsuna to limp over to his nemesis of the last several years. Tsuna stands looking pitifully down at the burnt Honda, who has been totally and utterly defeated.

"Yeah, this man calls himself god".

"Well I think the heavens have been sent a clear message on this day".

"Humanity is ready to stand on its own two feet".

Tsuna nods gently to Yamamoto.

Yamamoto lowers Excalibur decapitating Honda.

Honda is dead.

The millions cheer ecstatically. There is no doubt this time, there will be no emerging from the smoke, no more somehow surviving and more little tricks for the Yakuza. The Yakuza over.

The mafia has won.

Tsuna whisper something in his wife's ear. "Does this mean… I can finally have a nap".

"Yeah, you can sleep now".

That is just what Tsuna does. It's just like that day after he fought the Varia right back at the beginning of his journey.

He sleeps like he is dead.


	81. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

 **After the War**

Following the war, the various members of the mafia took a wide range of different paths. No two were the same but they were all as the mafia wished. There was not a single one amongst the resistance who had not earned the right to do whatever they wished.

Despite insisting otherwise Tsuna was given a huge amount of wealth from the newly formed governments of the world. He used the money to quickly retire with Dokuro, together they raised Shiro happily for years.

Ryohei used the opportunity given to him by his sworn brother to become friendly with his sister once again. When the world was ready to host sporting competitions again one of the quickest events to happen was him retaining his world boxing championship.

Lambo and I-Pin eventually decided that they didn't want to go their separate ways. They purchased a house together near to Tsuna's, they visit him often. To this day neither of them have been able to get a full time job but they are both happy with their part time roles.

Haru was paid by the state to train people to use the dying will flame. She played a highly active role in the mafia meaning she often asked Tsuna to look after his godson Juu. Gokudera's son is often taken to visit his father's memorial, the finest memorial of all according to Tsuna.

Yamamoto and Byakuran returned to Vegas and had a wedding they both concluded was amusing. Despite the venue being small they somehow managed to cram all of their friends and family in to watch them get married. They quickly retired after Yamamoto spent a year playing baseball in America.

Dokuro lives the life that her mother always dreamed she would. Never for one day is she not happy to be surrounded by her husband, her daughter and all of her loved ones.

Hibari and Dino retained their roles within the mafia, neither the type to retire early despite the hellish amount of effort they put in during the war. Together they raised Aron into adulthood. They still can't agree on who is the mother.

Xanxus became the 11th Vongola boss after Tsuna's quick retirement. Where Tsuna was the true successor to Vongola 1st he decides he will be the true successor to Vongola 9th. To this day he always remembers what Tsuna showed him, that he has friends.

Colonello took charge of the reformed CEDEF. With the dying will flame's power becoming public so many new strong people have emerged so he is already working on finding the 12th Vongola boss.

Bana and Kyoko eventually had two children together but have yet to retire from the Mafia police. With more and more people mastering the power of the dying will flame the call for such an organisation is greater than ever before.

Enma travelled to China with Fon to full embrace the martial arts style of life. It has been years since he has spoken to his friends in the mafia but as his senses sharpened he can still feel them each and every day. That is enough for him to smile.

Gon made an attempt to become a professional darts player. He failed because he destroyed the board each time he threw the dart. Regardless of his low position in society he is happier than ever before.

Ellen and Kara lived together peacefully for many years. While Ellen retired Kara played to her strengths by becoming an instructor in swordplay. To this day her students get annoyed about her insistence that the sabre will always be stronger than the sword.

Yaru and Sakura live in the countryside in an isolated position, as far away from others as they can get. Together they take of Lucy and try to build up her mental strength. Sakura makes money for them by playing music, for that music she has become world famous.

Bermuda returns to guarding the Trinisette, with so many users of the dying will flame in the world he concludes that it would be truly be disastrous if they fell into the wrong hands.

 **Tsuna and Dokuro's House**

In the rear garden Dokuro sits in a wooden chair, wrapping herself tightly in homemade jumper, it is cold tonight but that fails to make her go inside. She sits contently watching as her husband and daughter talk a few meters away.

"Was it this difficult for you" Shiro asks as she focuses on the dying will flame in her hands.

"Yeah" her father replies, "I was in a rush too, Mr Reborn and Xanxus made sure I did it within one week".

"One week" Shiro gasps, "Mr Reborn was a really harsh tutor".

"Well that's true" Tsuna sighs as he thinks to his old tutor. He hopes that if there is a heaven that Mr Reborn got those easy students and that beach he always hoped for.

"He was great in his own little way though" sighs the former Vongola boss, "Just like everyone can be if you give them a chance".

"Ah I think I've got it" Shiro yells excitedly as the flame begins to flicker in her hands.

The daughter of the 10th Vongola boss flickers between the plus and zero states for about ten seconds before she takes a deep breath and moves into the minus state.

Shiro exhales the air from her lungs as she slowly moves from the minus state back to the zero state, "Nothing happened" she notes.

"Well you weren't in a fight so I wouldn't expect it to" Tsuna smiles.

"But that is what it right".

The 10th Vongola boss continues to smile at his daughter. "Yeah, there is no mistaking it Shiro…".

"You are definitely… mafia".

* * *

 **Thank You Note**

Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. It's taken a lot of my time but I really have enjoyed myself.

I apologise if at any point the story didn't go the direction that you were hoping or if I irritated you by killing your favourite character. I will admit I killed one or two.

Still I felt it was important to take this story in a direction I found interesting and personally when I've gone back through my own story I have always smiled and found that I can at least entertain myself. I suppose that is always a positive.

If by some miracle there is anybody who wants a sequel I might write a shorter story about Shiro's generation eventually.

Should that not happen I'm going to begin working on other stories from different areas.

Regardless of what happens though, once again I would like to thank you for reading.

Knowing that someone else has enjoyed the story makes it all worthwhile for me.

See you whenever.

Me.


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